Burner Herzog Premiere the Music Video for Single “The Pure of Heart (are the first to go)”

For Burner Herzog, there is at one time both a great sense of optimism and pessimism moving us forward. You can get a piece of that in their new single “The Pure of Heart (are the first to go).”

Today marks the debut of the song’s official music video, the second to come from their forthcoming album Random Person after the release of “Metric Halo” last week. Due out on October 6th via Take-A-Turn Records, “The Pure of Heart (are the first to go)” is a rumination on purity and the dishonesty that goes along with it.

Discussing “The Pure of Heart (are the first to go)” and its video, Burner Herzog founder Jasper Leach comments:

“It was important to have a video that could appropriately match the apocalyptic tone of the song. So naturally I turned to my dear friend and collaborator Mike Harris. Thinking about our current day and age, the idea of purity is almost laughable. No one is truly pure or heart, and in all likelihood never was. But you have these ideological silos (and I think social media is a big contributor of this) where everyone has their own ‘unique’ avatar and thinks of themselves in this quasi-heroic light.

“Reality, either actual or virtual, takes on the qualities of a video game. But as we’ve seen time and time again, one in which everyone loses. The ongoing and meaningless search for money, coupled with senseless violence and destruction in dialogue with scientific or technological ‘progress’ run throughout the video, reveal this dystopia to be little more than our actual present civilization.”

Burner Herzog has grown a lot as a band since their debut release in 2017 with Wonderful American. But Leach and his bandmates remain committed to churning out catchy melodies with big hooks. Throw in some anthemic choruses, and that’s what you’ll discover on Random Person. Leach was the driving force behind this record, with his bandmates very supportive of his outlook. There is a lot of looking inward through these songs, trying to rediscover an identity in unfamiliar circumstances. It’s somewhat reflective of the upheaval, disorientation, and disaffection that have recently marred our society.

But ultimately, Random Person is focused on love and spirituality, found via critical self-reflection. A lot of Leach’s inspiration stemmed from just walking around his neighbourhood in Brooklyn, observing his surroundings. Like Prospect Park or the industrial, barren streets in East Williamsburg. Through these heavy ruminations, Leach is celebrating life as well as a time when he got to fully indulge in his creativity and artistry. It’s a time he will cherish and look back fondly upon as he proceeds through the next chapters of his life.

Tour Dates:

10/03 – Gold Sounds, Brooklyn, NY
10/04 – O’Brien’s, Boston, MA
10/05 – Launderette Records, Philadelphia, PA
10/06 – Prime Location, Kingston, NY

Burner Herzog ‘Random Person’ album artwork