The Quaker City Night Hawks Debut Mind-Bending "Mockingbird" Video

Directed by Charlie Terrell and illustrated by Charlo Nocete, the band "blends 'Heavy Metal' sci-fi and and Sergio Leone in vision of dystopian future" (Rolling Stone) - bit.ly/QCNH_Mockingbird

Armed with rocket launchers and a flying muscle car, The Quaker City Night Hawks battle an super-sized, villainous vulture in the video for "Mockingbird." Directed by Charlie Terrell and illustrated by Charlo Nocete, the "Mockingbird" video adds its own inspiration to the mix, nodding to the 1981 film Heavy Metal along the way.

"I'm really into the Sci-Fi Network show Firefly," singer David Matsler says. "I was watching it the day I wrote the song, just digging into the idea of a futuristic, dystopian world as viewed by some southern-type character. That's where 'Mockingbird' came from. Those high harmonies in the chorus almost gives it a bluegrass feel, but that guitar riff is pure hard rock. We really like having all of those influences involved."

"I'm a big fan of Harper Lee," says Terrell, who named his daughter after the author. "I immediately thought of To Kill a Mockingbird when I heard the song title, but once I saw the album cover, I started thinking about Heavy Metal, too. I came up with this futuristic storyline that combined the two, mixed into a pot with a Sergio Leone western-type thing."

"Mockingbird" is the lead single from the band's 'El Astronauta' album, which released May 20 via Lightning Rod Records. The four-piece is currently on tour playing Pemberton Festival, LouFest and Viva Big Bend Festival and opening for The Sheepdogs and Chris Stapleton.

For more on The Quaker City Night Hawks, please visit quakercitynighthawks.com.

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