Words By: Bre Offenberger

State Champs, the New York-based pop-rock quartet we all know and love, have finally released the video for their track “10 AM.” While it’s a feel-good track sonically, the lyrics take on an entirely new direction, as frontman Derek DiScanio is trying to figure out how all his relationships seem to fail, even though he always give them his all.

A slight rip of the bass gives way for trickling synths that create their own untroubled world, far away from the worries of our own. DiScanio appears to revisit the story of how he and his former partner became just memories, and though he recognizes he’s sad, he’s not sure it’s about their separation. Most of the instrumentation is wiped away, except for a simple acoustic guitar, which guides him to the realization this isn’t the first time a similar situation has happened to him. Though he repeats the same chorus at the end, there’s a sense of newfound contentment in his tone, signifying that he will be everything someone needs one day — he just has to find the right person who will appreciate him.

The video opens with a quick look-through inside a dainty house that needs a quick run of the vacuum. A moving cardboard cutout of a woman is found asleep in a bed, and she wakes up before reminiscing on a date with who is presumably her ex boyfriend. The band, in cutouts of their own, hover around before the woman continues to think about other dates with her ex where they fed each other food and found themselves the only two people in the world. She cries reading what is probably a love letter and thinks about when she started noticing something wrong with her boyfriend: when they were watching TV and he didn’t want to cuddle nor even look at her. They later get into an argument, and he picks up his jacket and leaves, planning to never come back. In the end, the woman walks around her apartment, hopeless, before her a real person picks up the cardboard cutout — the real-life version of her boyfriend — and shrugs.

Of the music video, DiScanio shares: “This is an experimental mixed media piece featuring miniature sets, a doll house and thousands of cutout still video images of us band guys and the actors. Nuri Yilmazer did a wicked job at making this come to life and portraying the feelings that come along with listening to the song to create an overall visual experience unlike any music video we’ve done before.”

The band has also announced the unveiling of Champs Fam, a fan club created by the band so fans can have access to exclusive content, pre-sale tickets, VIP experiences and more. More information can be found on the band’s website.

“10 AM” comes from the band’s latest EP, State Champs Unplugged, which dropped last year via Pure Noise Records. The EP was indicative of how progressive State Champs is in terms of sound, transitioning from pop punk in their early discography to the flair of pop and country exposed within their latest project. Despite the changes, the group has never faltered, so you can start anywhere in their discography and be pleased.

Feature Image By: Beth Saravo