Special Interest

New Orleans no-wave punks Special Interest are releasing a powerful new video for their song “Street Pulse Beat” today from their newest record The Passion Of, on the one year anniversary of the record’s release. Directed by Special Interest vocalist/frontperson Alli Logout and premiering on FADER, Logout has written a deeply meaningful manifesto giving insight into the video they created, which can be read in full below.

Special Interest was born out of New Orleans’ evasive DIY scene. After a demo tape (Trust No Wave) and a debut 12” (Spiraling), the group released their second LP The Passion Of in 2020. The Passion Of finds the band with a fuller realization of their sound. While Spiraling documented a band discovering their purpose, The Passion Of is both more chaotic and melodic, daring to finally live up to their notorious wall-of-sound live performances. Massive, juddering beats from an old Electribe sampler and distorted bass provide much of the rhythmic backbone. The effect is purely physical, circumnavigating the brain and heading straight to the body’s core. Crass, decolonized guitar work and haunting synth lines cut through the low end noise to serve the album’s layers of drama. It’s a cloying, intense dynamic that builds to almost unbearable fever pitch at points, threatening to overwhelm and overpower. The Passion Of is a true document of Special Interest as the intense and radical unit they are.

In September, Special Interest will embark on a tour in support of the record, including an appearance at Pitchfork Festival and a stop at Brooklyn’s Market Hotel (all tour dates below). Tickets for all tour dates are currently on-sale here. Rough Trade Records is excited to announce that we have partnered with the band for their next record. More details on that will be released at a later date. On July 30th, Special Interest member Ruth Mascelli, who composed an original score for the “Street Pulse Beat” video, will release their recently announced debut solo record ‘A Night At The Baths’ on the Disciples label.

Special Interest Videos

Special Interest Tour Dates

TOUR DATES