New Orleans-based sextet Sweet Crude unveiled the video for their new single, "Déballez" on Friday (Jan. 17), exclusively Billboard.
In the clip, the jazzy sextet shines a spotlight on the Big Easy's French immersion schools, performing their latest single for an auditorium full of French-speaking elementary school students. As vocalists Alexis Marceaux and Sam Craft trade lyrics in French, the kids happily sing along to the track's jubilant chorus.
Mirroring the sparkling melody and Cajun-influenced groove, the band reveals their new single took inspiration from the hope found in the recovery of their home state, following the destruction wreaked by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. "Déballez" literally translates to "unpack" or "unwind," the band tells Billboard. "We get through hardships as a community by sharing our experiences with each other…true healing doesn't come from insurance companies or from the government, but from communicaiton with our neighbors and loved ones. It's certainly a reality down in the Gulf Coast region…
"We might feel needy or burdensome by unloading our truth on others, but it's necessary for our survival."
The single will be featured on Sweet Crude's upcoming sophomore album, Officiel//Artificiel, which will be dropping April 24 Verve Forecast. The new bilingual LP serves as a follow-up to the band's 2017 debut, Créatures, which featured fan-favorite tracks "Mon Espirit" and "Isle Dans La Mer."
In support of Officiel//Artificiel, the band will be hitting the road later this month for a mini-tour of Mississippi and New Orleans before taking the stage this summer at both Bonnaroo and New Orleans Jazz Festival.
Check out the exclusive premiere of "Déballez" below.
