In a careening, post-modern cartoon ride, post-punk trio the Schisms present their latest anthemic single, “Don’t Clip My Wings.”
“Most of our videos and music have dark and moody concepts,” says bandleader Carson Barker. “We wanted to switch it up on this video and do something against the grain.”
Created by award-winning Austin video production team Three-Eyed Cat, the video takes inspiration from Fifties comics with a contemporary twist. Barker is rendered in blocky graphic form, singing to an off-camera audience as his bandmates’ silhouettes rock out on spotted comic book pages. Between these scenes, our buzzing fly narrator swoops through an increasingly sci-fi world of subverted antique cultural norms and creature-led global destruction.
“I’ve collaborated with Carson and the Schisms many times before and it’s always a ton of fun,” says Nate Bayless, owner and founder of Three-Eyed Cat. “Carson’s concept for this video was 100% up my alley, so I couldn’t wait to get started hashing it out and jump into animation.”
To create the video’s fast-paced de-evolution into madness, Bayless incorporated a combination of hand-drawn animation, rotoscoping – a live-action tracing technique – and an AI program called Runway to craft panel backgrounds.
“I think the basic storyline started with me,” says Barker. “Then Nate really fleshed it out. He’s much more knowledgeable about comic book art styles and older sci-fi movies than I am so I pretty much gave him free reign.”
The resulting clash of captivating styles and comic storylines was paid for in part by Barker’s City of Austin Live Music Fund award, which was granted to the musician in 2024. “That music fund opened up worlds of opportunities for me,” says Barker. “Austin is still a great place for musicians to live.”
“Don’t Clip My Wings” will be released to audiences everywhere on Monday, Oct. 20.
