Bands that play in the woods like Hooveriii deserve the most attention of the day. The reason that they deserve such attention is because I’m left to ponder how they power their instruments. That might seem like an innocent thought and it could all be magic. I don’t know how else to explain this sort of trickery. Instead of wondering and speculating, check out the video to “The Pearl.” More information exists about the video, the band and pretty much anything else below too.
Los Angeles psych-rock band Hooveriii (pronounced “Hoover Three”) have released a new taste of their forthcoming new album A Round of Applause. “The Pearl” is out today and premiered via Flood Magazine. The band told them, “‘The Pearl’ is an ode to pop songs of the 60’s/ 70’s in the vein of Nilsson, Ringo, Phil Spector, girl groups, Motown etc. A little light hearted, nursery rhyme pallet cleanse to close out the LP and quite possibly a vision of things to come. We like the idea of being a bit unpredictable, keeping folks (and ourselves) on our toes.” Flood praised the single as “a sunny, playful pop song that showcases the six-piece eschewing singer-songwriter self-seriousness in favor of infectious bliss.” Hooveriii have also shared a not-to-be-missed video for the track which follows the song’s narrative – a princess (portrayed by Foster James) is trapped (or is she?!) in a tower only to be courted by each member of the band. The clip was written and directed by Vanessa Pla and shot on 16mm film by Andy Hoffman in Big Bear, CA. Listen/share “The Pearl” here and do not skip over the video, above.
“The Pearl” follows the release of the album’s opener “See.”
Hooverii will preview some of the songs off A Round of Applause with a show in Long Beach, CA. Following a handful of additional California shows the band heads off on a U.S. tour with dates starting July 23 in Oceanside, CA and concluding in Phoenix, CA on August 27. In September the band head’s to Europe for a tour supporting Mudhoney. All dates are listed below and tickets are on-sale now.
Though created in large part by founder Bert Hoover, Hooveriii has grown to include
Gabe Flores (lead guitar and vocals), Kaz Mirblouk (bass and synths), James Novick (synths), and Owen Barrett (drums).
Prior to delving into A Round of Applause — Hoveriii’s second album through The Reverberation Appreciation Society —the band had stuck to a routine of issuing about two releases a year (including singles, live albums, etc.). After the rise of a certain five-letter word that starts with a C, they realized that time really shouldn’t be taken for granted. Finding additional inspiration via Nick Cave, who once said that dabbling with new ideas continues to fuel his near-50-year career, the band decidedly took a different approach with their new album and gave themselves the freedom to explore in the studio.
The end result is A Round of Applause, an expansive and even, at times, experimental record. Whereas 2021’s Water for the Frogs was akin to a jam-band record — most of its seven songs are about five minutes long (including a closing track that lasts nearly 10) — A Round of Applause could be considered their “pop” album. Occasionally paying homage to the Canterbury scene, the band consider it to be a palette cleanser of sorts. “I am not really a playlist guy or a singles guy,” Hoover admits. “I’m really into the album experience. … So yeah, we made a pop record. But also, to me, this record is very progressive as well, and I think that that provides a nice balance.” HE previously referred to Water for the Frogs as the band’s equivalent of Iggy Pop’s The Idiot. Playing with that idea he says A Round of Applause is the kindred spirit of Lust For Life.
Hooveriii derived the album title from the late-‘80s Roky Erickson song “Click Your Fingers Applauding the Play.” “That’s too much of a mouthful,” Hoover qualified. “My title, A Round of Applause, just came one day, and we were like, ‘Yo, that sounds like a Gentle Giant record.’”
Reflecting the mostly lighthearted and uplifting record, A Round of Applause closes cheekily — but not sarcastically — with the sound of people clapping. Hoover adds graciously: “We’ve been lucky so far. I don’t think we really have a, you know, ‘bad song.’ ”
Maybe one will, someday. But Hoover doesn’t dwell on that; after all, his band has more records to make — and time is of the essence.
Hooveriii tour dates
6/16 – Alex’s Bar – Long Beach, CA
6/18 – Davis Music Fest – Davis, CA
7/3 – Transplants Brewery – Palmdale, CA
7/23 – Pourhouse – Oceanside, CA
8/2 – Wayfarer – Costa Mesa, CA^
8/3 – Fox Wine Co. – Santa Barbara, CA^
8/4 – Crepe Place – Santa Cruz, CA^
8/5 – Stork Club – Oakland, CA^
8/6 – Gold-Diggers – Los Angeles, CA^
8/7 – Starlet Room – Sacramento, CA #
8/10 – The Fixin’ To – Portland, OR*
8/11 – Substation – Seattle, WA*
8/12 – Neurolux – Boise, ID*
8/13 – Quarters – Salt Lake City, UT*
8/14 – Larimer Lounge – Denver, CO*
8/15 – Vultures – Colorado Springs, CO*#
8/16 – Replay Lounge – Lawrence, KS*
8/18 – Cactus Club – Milwaukee, WI*
8/19 – Amsterdam Bar – St.Paul, MN*
8/20 – The Hideout – Chicago, IL*
8/21 – The Burl – Lexington, KY*#
8/22 – The Blue Room at Third Man Records – Nashville, TN*#
8/23 – Sinkhole – St. Louis, MO*
8/25 – Golden Light Cantina – Amarillo, TX*
8/26 – Sister – Albuquerque, NM
8/27 – Trunk Space – Phoenix, AZ
9/21 – Cooperative de Mai – Clermont Ferran, FR*
9/22 – Rockschool Barbey – Bordeaux, FR*
9/23 – Le Temps Machine – Tours, FR*
9/24 – Detonation – Besancon, FR*
9/25 – La Maroquinerie – Paris, FR*
More TBA
*Supporting Mudhoney
