We love the Midwest, I mean, it’s in our name. For some bands, being from the Midwest is not just about geographical location—they really embody what it’s like to be a Midwesterner. Enter Lawnmower, a three piece indie rock band from Ferndale, MI. Even their name brings to mind fresh cut lawns on a hot summer’s day.
We’re pleased to premiere their new video for the song “Suffer & Endure” today only on Midwest Action!
Watch it below:
“Suffer & Endure” is the first single from Lawnmower’s upcoming third album Got No Juice.
The video was directed by Chicago musician Alex Jensen (Dream Version, Emily Jane Powers). This directorial debut is set in a series of suburban locations around Fenton, MI. Alex summed up the concept simply by saying “The video’s just meant to showcase the friendship between the band members.”
While the band has existed since 2010, they began in earnest in 2013, releasing Whack Yer Brain, a four song blast of pop punk and classic alternative. The follow up LP, Major Head Injury expanded on the ideas presented on WYB, showcasing a more polished, considered approach. In 2017, Lawnmower re-imagined those songs as ’80s synth-pop jams for Minor Head Injury.
For their third proper album, the band challenged themselves to present their ideas less conventionally, focusing on disjointed structures and unsettled moods. It features songs that express frustration toward the gatekeepers of an independent scene that have adopted all of the ugly and ambitious capitalist traits of the mainstream music industry, songs that try to find a way to communicate abstract feelings in meaningful ways, and songs that reflect on the similarities between emo/pop-punk culture and religious organizations. It also celebrates the beauty of a small community of people who find happiness in each other.
Frontman Travis Bravender sums up the song by saying,
“Suffer & Endure” is a song about feeling empathy for depressed and anxious friends who are having a hard time leaving their houses. Wanting relief for those friends and feeling helpless. Respecting and recognizing their struggles, as well as the struggles within oneself. Most importantly, it’s about how victories can be measured in different ways.
The album Got No Juice is due out June 15. Until then, crank this single, open up a window, and let the summer breeze take you away.