Michael Tapper Proves That Practice Pays Off

After the disbandment of Yellow Ostrich in 2014, drummer Michael Tapper set out to discover himself. After embarking on a 28-day sailing trip from Mexico to Hawaii, he realized that he had grown dissatisfied with the music he was making. Upon his return, he envisioned a new solo project, Practice, and got busy practicing, developing his sound and songwriting skills over the course of several years. Now, on November 24, he’s released his third single, a groovy, synth-pop track entitled “I Saw Love.” 

“The seed of the track ‘I Saw Love’ started from a memory of a baseline of an Arthur Russel song,” Tapper told American Songwriter. “As I constructed the song, it became a story of moods, rather than words, like passing through a haunted funhouse of mirrors, traveling from optimism to triumph, despair, and ecstasy.”

Those ‘haunted funhouse’ vibes were playfully excentreated by the music video Tapper made for the song. “I made the video at a cabin I was working on in the Catskills of upstate New York, isolated in the mountains and out in the woods,” he said. “It was around Halloween, so it seemed appropriate to run with some of the ominous, spooky mood themes. I wanted it to be an allegory about being pursued by love, but with love as death. I made the video myself, with help from my wife and cat. My cat has never been so cooperative in her life. My wife and I brainstormed ways to use simple camera and editing tricks to bring it to life and add a touch of surrealism, using early Buñuel films as inspiration. Especially big props to my wife for not running me over while chasing me through the woods at night, driving and holding the camera at the same time.”

While Tapper may be best known as the former drummer for the 2000s rock band, We Are Scientists, his new material as Practice takes on a life entirely of its own. Irresistibly dancey, Tapper’s synth lines perfectly lock-in with his driving beat. The end result is a delightful demonstration of Tapper’s talents, leaving the listener in anticipation of his forthcoming debut LP.

Watch the music video for “I Saw Love” by Practice below: