The band says, “‘Reality Bites’ was a very fun and easy song to write, it came out in about 10 mins and was inspired by the 1994 Winona Ryder movie of the same name.”
They continue about the music video saying, “I knew we wanted to film a music video in this wonderful old laundry mat in Gimli, Manitoba where we grew up. It has a nostalgic look (and smell) and reminds me of being a kid with my mom in the hot summers washing our sheets and doing laundry there.”
“Reality bites, and it hurts every time.”
So sings vocalist/guitarist Stefanie Blondal-Johnson with her signature swagger amidst the title track of Mise en Scene’s latest EP, and if there’s a single, consistent thread woven through the ripping alt-rock duo’s output since their 2012 debut, it’s that she and drummer Jodi Dunlop can take everything that hurts – or inspires or confounds or elates – and shape undiluted emotion into something utterly captivating.
Reality Bites found Mise en Scene working with producer John Paul Peters (Begonia, Comeback Kid) in their shared home city of Winnipeg, and despite its relatively short runtime compared to their acclaimed catalog of full-length LPs, the collection arguably showcases the widest breadth of Mise en Scene’s musical output to date, blending influences from Blondie to the Black Keys to Best Coast into a sonic concoction all their own.
Every cut unapologetically encapsulates emotional lessons learned – some sad, some funny, some angry, and others outright rebellious – but never in disservice of the band’s delectably danceable energy, equally palpable from the stage as it is from the stereo.
They’ve landed high-profile slots on stages at SXSW, Reeperbahn, and The Great Escape; earned a 2021 WCMA for Rock Artist of the Year and a nod for Songwriter of the Year; been featured in outlets from NPR to Playboy to Paste; charted at national radio for over 20 weeks; and enjoyed a host of sync placements in feature films and international series. Needless to say, people are taking notice of their special synergy.
Indeed, Reality Bites serves as a keen reminder of a fact Mise en Scene has recognized since the very beginning: that music can get you through pretty much anything, and even help you thrive on the other side.