Ron Brunk sat with EP and answered our questions about his latest single, ‘Psycho Warfare‘, new album, ‘Ted and Ronnie Go To Odd’, and what comes next.
How does ‘Psycho Warfare’ fit into the narrative or themes of the album, ‘Ted and Ronnie Go to Odd’?
The album ‘TED AND RONNIE GO TO ODD’ is a twisted dichotomy of romanticized past and terrifying future. It looks back through the lens of longing at younger days and adventures when Ted Mills and Ronnie Brunk journeyed to the Land of Odd. This album could easily be considered a soundtrack to my novel GREEN MACHINE. That book contains some of the true stories of the lives of Ted and Ronnie before the tragic day that Ted was murdered. Several of the songs on the album were written back there in those days of unbridled enthusiasm coupled with dark portent. All but two of the tracks (and music videos) contain horrific words (and images) of warning pointing toward the end of the age. PSYCHO WARFARE stands alone as the song that informs us what is actually happening in the here and now. We are being assaulted every minute of every day by a vast conglomerate of global tyrants and an international Propaganda Machine.
Talk to us about drawing inspiration from Psycho, the iconic Hitchcock thriller. How did Psycho transform into ‘Psycho Warfare’?
When the idea for ‘Psycho Warfare’ first struck me, I was dancing around the kitchen with my bowl of Brussels sprouts. I’d seen some outrageous lies on the idiot box, and in response, I began singing what I was thinking – psycho, psycho, psychological warfare. I put down the sprouts and grabbed my guitar, and the entire song, words and music, flowed out instantly. And my first thought was, I should sing the word “psycho” in the same manner as the stabbing sound in the classic Hitchcock movie “Psycho.” I knew it had to be sung in a rapid-fire, slashing manner, just like the knife in the shower scene.
How did you go about evoking a sense of chaos and urgency in ‘Psycho Warfare’s sound?
I did it by simply allowing my pure passion and rage to flow through me and my guitar with no restraints. What you hear on that track is the first take, live, just me singing and playing the song on my acoustic guitar. It’s raw and real, and I knew we had to build the rest of the song around that. Paul then added his electric guitar tracks and other magic touches….and voila, there it was!
‘Psycho Warfare’ addresses the strong influence of our current media landscape. Why do you think ‘Psycho Warfare’ will resonate with audiences?
I think it will resonate with audiences because more people are beginning to wake up to the psyops The Machine has been using on and against us for many decades. Of course, many other people are fighting angrily in support of the tyrants who rule over us. Either way, people are talking A LOT about this subject.
What motivated you to present the ‘Psycho Warfare’ music video in an animated style? How does this style complement the song?
As you know, I love to create music videos in a wide variety of styles and methods. Same thing that I do with my music. For this particular video, I worked on it for two weeks, trying to come up with the right approach. I was working with a variety of odd pictures and video clips, just random stuff. I had a specific vision for this one. But then I realized that my software and video skill level were not going to do the job the way that I envisioned it. So I called my good friend, Todd Stotler, who is a creative genius in a variety of ways, especially in creating animated and AI videos. I shared some of my visuals with him and explained that I envisioned green peas, human brains, and mathematical equations as being the key components of the video I had in mind. He took it from there and sent me a first draft. We tweaked a few things along the way, and it all came together quite nicely. I couldn’t be more thrilled with the finished music video!
Does the pickle motif featured throughout the video represent a larger metaphor? Are there any other Easter eggs audiences should look out for?
Well, the pickle idea is pretty straightforward—we are all “in a pickle,” as people used to say. I don’t even know if that’s still a thing. Do people still say that? As long as the worldwide Propaganda Machine is operating, we peasants are in serious trouble. In a pickle, that is. The evil mainstream media Machine must be completely dismantled and destroyed, or else it will continue to inundate and destroy human minds with its lies and propaganda.
How do you balance shedding light on big issues in a way that is still playful and fun? How important is lightheartedness in your artistry?
Good questions. Yes, balancing between the darkness and light can be quite a challenge at times, but for the most part, I simply create, write, record, and produce whatever flows from my soul in any given moment. And because of my nature, things usually flow out of me automatically in a manner which addresses important (and often very dark) issues while managing to be funny, comical or ludicrous. And as far as lightheartedness in my artistry, that’s just a part of who I am. So, it makes sense that it makes its way into some of my songs. I’m all about poking fun at things (including myself), and I consider myself the king of self-deprecating humor. I was raised in a family where everyone had a fantastic, outrageous, sarcastic sense of humor. And I raised my children the same way. No topic is off limits for comedy. Honestly, I don’t worry much about what people think about how I infuse humor into my art. I just let it flow; if it amuses me, then I do it.
Do you see yourself tackling other modern-day pressing issues in future tracks?
Absolutely. Tackling pressing societal and other important issues is a huge part of what I have always done. It’s unlikely that I will ever stop as long as the Lord lets me live. For me, speaking out comes naturally and automatically. If artists aren’t sending out insightful, powerful messages with our artistic creations, then what’s the point? If at least some of our songs and videos aren’t challenging people and getting them to think, then what good are we?
Watch the music video for ‘Psycho Warfare’ below, and follow Ron Brunk online on his official website, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
