REBEL YELL Shares Scorching-hot Music Video For DESOLATION Cut ‘The Heat’ Ft. Cong Josie

[Naarm/Melbourne, Friday May 9, 2024] Nine months after the release of her third full-length album DESOLATION, prolific industrial-pop act REBEL YELL (AKA Grace Stevenson) unveils a scorching-hot music video for ‘The Heat’, featuring Cong Josie, the alter-ego, of NO ZU bandleader, Nic Oogjes. Stream/watch HERE.

'The Heat' marries the gritty soundscape of downtown New York in the ‘70s with REBEL YELL's signature industrial-tinged techno, Oogjes and Stevenson drawing from their shared Scorpio tendencies {“fire on the outside / water in the walls”) across the lyrics.

The accompanying video, directed by REBEL YELL in collaboration with Throne, features Stevenson, Cong Josie and Angel Grindr warming up, clad in leather, under Naarm’s sweltering sun. Shot in slow motion, there are visual echoes of REBEL YELL videos past. Stevenson and her troupe performed a choreographed work-out in a suburban parking lot and on a dimly lit stage, while Angle Grinder brings literal sparks to the set.

Stevenson shares, “[Initially] we planned to play on the idea of literal heat with boiling kettles and fire, but instead chose to film on a 35 degree day under the sweltering sun. Angel Grindr has been using REBEL YELL and Marcus Whale's track 'Pump' for live performances, and finally the times lined up for us to work together in person. I wanted the music video to be one giant tease that never got to its punchline. There is really no point to the clip, so I guess we succeeded.”

REBEL YELL has been crafting fierce bangers for the tender-hearted since 2016. Her third full-length album DESOLATION retains the driving, dance-ready focus of her first two records Hired Muscle (2018) and Fall From Grace (2020), while pushing the boundaries of her signature sound with hardened electronics. Beyond the beats and melodies, DESOLATION’s essence lies in REBEL YELL’s introspective lyrics which wade through the discomfort of living with oneself while in search for authenticity and inner peace. It’s a profound journey into the human experience and is a testament to REBEL YELL’s resilience and vulnerability.

Known and loved for her distinct mechanical vocals and earth-shattering basslines, REBEL YELL has shared stages with Orbital, Charli XCX and Brooke Candy among others, plus collaborated with the likes of Hayden Dunham (Hyd, QT), Exhibitionist and Marcus Whale (Collarbones). For DESOLATION, REBEL YELL partnered with cult local acts including Cong Josie (NO ZU), California Girls, Tralala Blip, Tired Girl and Black Dahlia (who features on the “wonderfully explosive” (Guardian Australia) ‘TNT’).

Rejecting traditional album formats, DESOLATION arrived alongside a limited-edition plush toy, depicting REBEL YELL as an otherworldly elf, accessorised with a silver necklace, sword pendant and USB. The toy reinforces REBEL YELL’s determination to showcase the interplay between strength and vulnerability, proving that true power lies in embracing one’s soft side.

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