Photo by Maria Alcantara
Despite the plural moniker, Nuclear Dudes, is exactly one dude: Jon Weisnewski, guitarist/vocalist of Seattle bruisers Sandrider. The anything-goes solo project was launched as a creative outlet during the pandemic and has already produced a couple of EPs. The video we’re premiering here, “Lasers in the Jungle”—featuring a vocal contribution from fellow Puget Sounder, Dave Verellen, of Botch—was taken from Nuclear Dudes’ debut full-length, Boss Blades, which was just issued on July 7 via Modern Grievance Records.
Said video, created by Tony Arechiga, is an eye-twitch-inducing blast of morphing psychedelic colors and layers of images over a tune that starts ambient, offers a nod to Jane’s Addiction’s “Up the Beach” and empties the tank like Ministry done blast-beat style. It’s like one of those Paul McCartney and Wings epics from the ’70s where you just don’t really know where it’s going next. And before you know it Verellen is screaming at you like you just kicked his cat. Not that I’d ever kick a cat.
Aside from contributions from Verellen and Irene Barber (Dust Moth), Boss Blades was written and recorded by Weisnewski. His guests’ contributions were recorded by Matt Bayles at Litho Studios in Seattle, Washington. The album was mixed by Matt Bayles and mastered by Ed Brooks at Resonant Mastering. It’s currently available on cassette and digitally, and you can place your order here.
Here’s Weisnewski’s take on the new video:
“The ‘Lasers in the Jungle’ video is a collaboration with digital artist Tony Arechiga. He used some low-fi video of us yelling and made them wild and insane. Dave Verellen helped out with vocals on this song. While capturing footage for the last sequence, I accidentally punched myself in the nose and started bleeding.”
