Gus Dapperton continues to hone his wistful pop sound through his recent singles “Post Humorous” and “First Aid.” The singer is gearing up for the release of his sophomore record, Orca, and has appeased fans with a long-awaited video for “Post Humorous.”
Directed by Matthew Dillon Cohen, the video depicts the singer as a rising stand-up comic. The singer takes the stage to a reserved crowd, eventually winning them over with his quips. Dapperton and Cohen had originally planned on linking up to film the visual several months ago, but production was halted due to the coronavirus lockdown. After four months, the two safely linked up to finish the filming process.
Dapperton opened up about the single’s meaning ahead of the visual’s release, saying it was a reflection on dealing with death as a young child. The singer’s album Orca deals with darker themes compared to his breezy debut LP Where Polly People Go To Read.
Dapperton struggled with mental health and addiction while touring behind the record, coping with his difficult experiences through songwriting and using his struggle to serve as inspiration on Orca: “I was unbalanced. My lifestyle and habits had gotten extreme. I wasn’t getting eight hours of sleep a night, I was drinking and doing drugs often. Wasn’t eating healthy. And on top of it, I was performing. A show can be the most inspirational, emotional high; but if something goes wrong it can be devastating.” Dapperton added that he’s an “advocate” for being vulnerable in songwriting and that it was “cathartic to put these emotions into music.”
Watch Dapperton’s “Post Humorous” video above.
Orca is out 9/18 via AWAL. Pre-order it here.