In horror circles, Emile Hirsch is known for such roles in The Autopsy of Jane Doe, Freaks, and Son, in addition to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and the award-nominated Into the Wild. For those in the know, he has also ventured into synth music since the 2019 release of his debut LP Mnemonic, under the moniker Hirsch 一 alongside producer/songwriter known only as The Frenchman.
With a brand new song and video, titled “Killer Bees,” Hirsch re-examines modern living and the constant onslaught of news and social media doom-scrolling. “We live in scary times of news cycles and social media and everyone pushing and pulling and clawing each other’s eyes out for attention,” he says. The track courses with a sinister force, a dark undercurrent so immersive it’s as though George Orwell’s “1984” or Frank Kafka’s “The Trial” seeped onto the record.
In its initial inception, the melody wormed its way into his head, and Hirsch just couldn’t shake it. It took his collaborator some time, but The Frenchman soon warmed up to the idea. Together, they constructed the instrumental together. “We ended up finding a kind of gothic, foreboding tone to it that I thought was fitting,” says Hirsch.
Thematically, the song utilizes literature as a jumping off point to tell a wholly modern, universal story. “We’re guilty. We’re being hunted, but we’re not quite sure what we’ve done. I purposefully crafted the lyrics to let them lean on abstract metaphor, while still being open-ended enough for people to cast their own dark clouds and shadows onto the song and let their imaginations apply their own story,” he continues. “Everyone on some level feels the pressure of some kind of oppression, or will to give in to something, in some way. There’s a certain paranoia that drives the song 一 satirical takedown of the audience but also the performer. [We] poured over every word with a meticulousness that was mentally exhausting, even for tryhard overachievers like us.”
“It’s old but looks so new, the truth a fading, battered plaything / It’s stunning what we’ll stew when we are craving something savory,” Hirsch mutters through thumping production and scratchy synths. The video clip opens in the middle of a furious getaway, almost like the ending of a Tarantino flick. Later, Hirsch digs his lyrical pen deeper, drawing blood, “No one is safe from you / Your best intentions pack a vengeance / I’d run but you got shoes / Now see me capsize, finally baptized.”
The accompanying visual is directed by Ryuhei Kitamura, a cult horror director known for The Midnight Meat Train, Yoroi Samurai Zombie, and a segment in 2018’s Nightmare Cinema. During filming near Salton Sea, Hirsch pushed Kitamura and cinematographer to “do more and more dangerous stunt work. They were really nervous, telling me not to, but I’m like, ‘Guys, I’m the friggin’ mountain goat guy from ‘Into The Wild.’ I’m gonna run down this cliff right now, like trampoline goat status to get us some cool shots and take some dives in the sand for this thing.’ This song’s my baby. It’s funny… you’ll really kick your own ass when it’s your baby. I kinda understand how my man Tom Cruise jumps building to building til he snaps his leg on those ‘Mission Impossible’ movies. Those are his babies, and you just care way more.”
Hirsch first met Kitamura on the set of The Price We Pay, also starring Stephen Dorff, during filming last summer. “We really creatively hit it off. We had a blast. He listened to some of my songs and told me he’d love to make a video for me at some point. So desperate actor-wannabe-musician that I am, I promptly hunted him down after the shoot and asked if he still would 一 and he said yes. He was incredible. We literally had a tiny, aka nonexistent, budget for this, but Ryuhei had an incredible team that showed up ready to work wonders.”
The creative admiration is certainly mutual, according to Kitamura himself. “I have nothing but huge respect and love for Emile. We had so much fun, an inspiring and exciting time working together on an intense and chaotic shoot of our new movie last summer,” he shares. “We were instantly connected, and our friendship grew even bigger after the shoot.”
In terms of “Killer Bees,” Kitamura was inspired straightaway. “Ideas started to form inside my head,” he says. To compliment his own visual style, bringing Schubert aboard was a no brainer. Previously, the duo worked together on Downrange, Nightmare Cinema, and The Doorman.
“This was a pure fun, passionate weekend project,” he adds, “and I felt like going back to younger days when I was making small indie movies with my friends. I’m super happy what we got in just a day and so proud of my team. Now, I’m inspired by this music video and [have] started to think about turning this into a movie or series.”
“Killer Bees” is out everywhere now. Hirsch is currently piecing together what he hopes to be his third studio record. To be continued.
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