Grindhouse Inspires BANDITS' New Music Video for "Enough"

Colorado psych-rock act BANDITS, which will be releasing its latest seven-inch record at Lost Lake on July 1, is celebrating by dropping a new music video for the song “Enough.” Embodying the spirit of the band, “Enough” recalls '70s exploitation cinema. That's fitting for a group of musicians who made the move from the cleaner streets of Boulder to the bustle and grit of Denver, in 2016. We spoke with guitarist John Demitro about the new video and what it represents for the band's development.

Westword: Your new video is reminiscent of Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! or Big Bad Mama. How was it made and what were you going for with that style?

John Demitro: We shot, edited and produced the video. We really wanted to go in the low-budget grindhouse style for direction. This video has a whole story behind it, and this is just Part II. "Enough" just fits really well with the concept we had in our heads. We wanted to capture someone running away from something – and in the video, that something is chasing after her. Can't go into super detail because it would give away some secret upcoming things. We also wanted to shoot something that starred my beat-up 1975 Firebird. And she actually died after we got all the shots. May she rest in pieces!

Rather than release full albums, you put out shorter offerings. Why does that make more sense for the band?

We like being able to release just a little snapshot of what was happening in our lives when we recorded and wrote these songs. It's nice to release a few songs and move on to the next. Get it out and let it go. We are getting ready to record our full-length, which we will be doing before the end of the summer. Our band has been a culmination of moving parts; these smaller releases can focus a little more on the details of what's been brewing and what's to come.

How would you say your songwriting style has evolved since your previous seven-inch release in winter 2016?

Our songwriting is more focused on these newer tracks. We've been writing more consistently, which I think has had an impact on the quality of the songs. The first single, "Enough," was a very old song of ours. We dug it up, cleaned the dirt off of it, and rewrote it into what it is now. The track "Tear You Down" is a rawer moment for us as writers, even though it has a rough exterior. Every time we play it, the meaning and feelings hold true to how we felt when it was written. You can hear the vulnerable core of the song for just a moment, before it starts kicking again. We were at a crossroads when we wrote that song and were changing members. It was a hard time and we weren't sure about a lot of things. I think you can hear the anger and frustration in the execution of the song. It's hard-hitting, cynical and dark.

BANDITS 7” release party with Urn., Bogusman and The Beeves, 7 p.m., Saturday, July 1, 8 p.m., Lost Lake, 303-291-1007, $8-12, 16+.