Video Premiere: Ape Machine – “Flight”

With a new track called “Flight” from from Portland stoner-rock quartet Ape Machine, the “getting high” jokes write themselves. To be fair, the band’s latest single doesn’t seem to be specifically about that kind of “journey,” but it’s got a lot of the other hallmarks of the genre: strong bluesy riffs, plaintive vocals and a punchy groove. Ape Machine—Caleb Heinze (vocals), Ian Watts (guitar), Nick Harris (bass), Dana Sims (drums)—now working on their second decade as band, spent the pandemic writing and recording nearly two albums worth of new material (16 songs) and are busy assembling a new full-length release to follow up their 2018 album Darker Seas, which was issued via RippleMusic.

“Flight” is the first track from what will be the band’s sixth album (currently unnamed) of fresh material. The new tunes were recorded and engineered by Watts and Heinze at Magic Closet South (Ian’s personal studio in Stayton, OR) and Dead Aunt Thelma’s in Portland. It was mixed by Watts and mastered by Nick Townsend. “Flight” is currently available for ordering here.

Here’s Watts’ take on the new track:

“‘Flight’ came together with a series of riffs that seemed undeniably raw and headbang worthy. Once Caleb wrote the chorus, we knew it was the right vibe for the time. Launching into orbit with some heavy riffage to escape the bullshit!”