Chastity (aka Brandon Williams) has shared the politically charged video for Children, the lead single from their upcoming album, ‘Death Lust,’ which is due out Friday, July 13th via Royal Mountain and Captured Tracks.
The video is centered around an incident in Williams home town of Whitby. An off-duty police officer named Michael Theriualt and his brother Christian Theriault allegedly beat a young black man, Dafonte Miller, with a steel pipe while he was walking near his home which left the victim blind in one eye. The officer’s father, former Toronto police officer John Theriualt has been accused of attempting to interfere in the subsequent investigation, with all three men expected in court in May.
Speaking on the origin of and inspiration for the Justin Singer-directed clip, Williams (who wrote, cast and produced the video) reveals that “This is a close up on the practice of institutional racism that’s revealed itself in my hometown by members of the police. John, Christian and Michael Theriault, Toronto and Durham police are a threat to public safety. Black Lives Matter. How much do black lives matter to police?”
Check it out via YouTube below.
Chastity is a world of its own from the mind of Brandon Williams. Reflecting the working class background of Whitby, Ontario, Chastity’s songs are charged with the ethos of archetypal youth on the fringe. A project more aptly characterized by its intentions than specific sound or medium, Chastity stands to confront the struggles of those existing in the unseen, often silenced periphery. It is an artifact of youth culture constantly working to form community, bridging isolation with collectivity.
It was clear from the release of Chastity’s first demos that this was not “another punk band that can operate at only one speed.” Always concerned with the trending lack of accessibility and inclusivity in public spaces for the arts, the first Chastity show was held in Williams’ own bedroom where, packed wall-to-wall, the police were quickly called. But after the project’s second show supporting DC punk band Priests, Chastity was off to the races, sharing stages with the likes of with METZ, Chelsea Wolfe and Fucked Up. All without a full length recording out.
Since signing with Brooklyn label Captured Tracks, Chastity has re-released those initial demos, along with 2 new singles and an EP, stoking the anticipation of Chastity’s debut full length record, ‘Death Lust’.
Releasing Friday the 13th of July, 2018, ‘Death Lust’ follows the plot of suffering to survival. The album begins on a tortured note with Come and builds toward the plummeting finale of Chains, evolving from start to finish in a crescendo of severity. Chastity explains, “Death Lust is about growing up death obsessed. It’s about the pain that it takes but the capacity that we have to overcome.”
‘Death Lust’ is available for iTunes preorder here.
Track listing
1.) Children
2.) Choke
3.) Scary
4.) Negative With Reason To Be
5.) Heaven Hell Anywhere Else
6.) Suffer
7.) Chains
8.) Anoxia
9.) Come
10.) Innocence
