Portland’s Patternist Lets Loose in New Video for “I Don’t Feel Real”

Fresh from signing with InVogue Records, Portland’s emo pop Patternist has announced its debut full-length album I Don't Know What I'm Doing Here, set to release September 6th. This follows in the wake of years of touring with sold out dates across the U.S. alongside artists like Vinyl Theatre, Finish Ticket, Flor, and The Griswolds. The upcoming record is Patternist’s first since 2016’s Give It Up, whose title track made its way onto Spotify’s U.S. Viral Hits. Fronted by musician Gabe Mouer, Patternist brands itself as “sad songs that sound happy,” employing a synth-driven upbeat sound reminiscent of groups from The Postal Service to The 1975.

When asked about the process that has led to the creation of this debut LP, Mouer reflects “It’s taken me longer than it should have to realize what kind of songwriter I want to be, what my perspective is. I worried less about how Patternist fits into the indie pop zeitgeist and focused on trying to make the kind of record I wanted to hear, whether or not it’s what the people want is still up for debate. Also, having a higher track count and run time to play with helped divorce me from having to write a series of singles and allowed me to play around more.”

Sure enough, Patternist has woven threads of the new among more familiar elements, as can be found in the latest single from I Don't Know What I'm Doing Here, titled “I Don’t Feel Real.” Interlacing vintage samples between flourishes of electric keys, the feature drives home Mouer’s intention to develop Patternist’s sound. He specifies, “I’ve taken to describing the LP as ‘melodramatic guitar pop.’ It’s a collection of short stories that explore various ways we isolate ourselves from the world around us, backdropped by a series of verb’d-out, emo inspired guitar riffs. It’s still a Patternist record, if such a thing can be said, but with more of a ‘rock band’ approach mixed in with the usual bedroom pop sensibilities.”

In addition to the single itself, Patternist has also released a music video for “I Don’t Feel Real.” As the very first video in his repertoire, Mouer recounts how intimidated he was during the 5 hour shoot alongside his silicone costar, lamenting, “It was terrifying to be sure, there were moments where people would walk by and stop and stare, sometimes with their kids, as I’m like salaciously popping grapes into the mouth of this horrifying sex doll. But it’s all in service of the art [laughs]. With the admittedly downer nature of the record, the goal is to contrast its more dismal thematic outlook with a lighthearted approach to our videos.”

A further contrast within the video can also be found in Mouer’s apparent confidence in an admittedly peculiar narrative. Mouer confesses, “Personally, I’ve always had fairly bad stage fright. I’ll feel initially sick to my stomach before going out, I worry about what people will think. But, if you want to be a songwriter and you’re, like me, too egotistical to let other people touch your material, you have to bury debilitating thoughts and just go for it. It’s the exact same process for this video.”

In addition to performing in the video, Gabe Mouer faces the same anxieties on stage, as well as another set of recurring challenges. Mouer’s wife, Ashton, is the only consistent touring member, playing keys and bass, so almost every tour consists of new sets of hired hands. As a result, each live Patternist show offers slight differences, resulting in a variety of creative wrinkles on the same songs for returning fans.

When asked about what listeners can expect from the debut release this fall, Mouer discloses, “From a lyrical standpoint as well as a melodic one, ‘I Don’t Feel Real’ sets a precedent the rest of the record follows. Hopefully, that adds up to something people can connect with.”

Check out Patternist’s newest single for an idea of what is to come Sept. 6th.