Director Chris Graue Re-emerges As Lo(u)ser with 8-bit/Ska Punk Single "Growing Up" & Nostalgic Music Video (self-released)
Lo(u)ser is the new solo project of 8-bit/Ska Punk musician Chris Graue. His past music-making credits include The Maxies, The 131ers, Suburban Legends, Pizza Wolf, Naronic Distress, and The Scene Report. As a director and editor, Graue has filmed and created music videos for the likes of The Bombpops, The Bruce Lee Band, Goldfinger, NOFX, Mike Park (Asian Man Records,) Red City Radio, Reel Big Fish, Frank Turner, and We Are The Union. It appears as though Chris Garue may have initially kick-started Lo(u)ser back in 2015 with a 2-track EP entitled Gold, Frankincense, and Brr quietly uploaded to Bandcamp on a Name-Your-Price basis. Now, Graue has returned with a brand spankin' new glitched out single, "Growing Up," from Lo(u)ser. "Despite these accomplishments, Chris feels suspended in time as if enveloped in the forcefield of some demented Stasis Rune."
"With each ticking second, his kinetic energy builds until finally exploding onto the music scene with Lo(u)ser," a Tim Maurer-penned press release explains. "Growing Up" is further described as a "digitally-potent Pop single laced with Ska beats and Lo-fi blips." Its corresponding press material is chock-full of allusions to beloved video games and iconic titles: "There is no princess needing rescue from another castle. There are no hidden chests to bomb into existence behind crumbled walls. There are no heroes. Just a bucket of Red Vines next to a Sega Genesis where you play your youthful years away until you molt into your final man-child form..." Lo(u)ser's companion Chris Graue-starring music video for "Growing Up" as he and his wife, a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) welcome a beautiful "baby," well... a Game Boy Classic into their lives.
As a first-time father of an almost 5-month-old son, Lo(u)ser's "Growing Up" video is strangely relatable! It features contributions from cinematographer Vince Walker, bed puppeteer Marina Teague, and production assistant Emily Leyva with special thanks given to Drew Van Oort, Kevin Mulgrew, Tyler Nazarian, Carl & Keli Dispenziere at Carl J. Dispenziere DDS, Bret & Mickey Cogan at Gable House Bowl, and St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church. "Growing Up" itself features music and lyrics by Chris Graue, production work from ex-Reel Big Fish drummer Ryland Steen, pre-production by Chris Lucca, mixing by J. Grabes, assistant mixer Reed Michael Wolcott, recording engineering by David Irish, and mastering by Alex Dobbert. Chris Graue told us he hopes to evntually make a whole EP as Lo(u)ser, but right now, is just "trying to enjoy it and make cool stuff as it feels right." Lo(u)ser's "Growing Up" is now available on digital streaming platforms.