“Dark Mystery Enigma Bird” is the final pre release single off Nap Eyes’ forthcoming fifth LP, The Neon Gate, dropping on October 18, 2024 via Paper Bag Records. This disjunctive avian fable told through a stream-of-consciousness narrative provides, with its sun-dappled surreality, perhaps the most immediate earworm melodies and arrangements on the record. Unlike most vocals on The Neon Gate, which were recorded live with the band, songwriter Nigel Chapman recorded his vocals for “Enigma Bird” in a blanket-draped children’s cardboard castle in his parents’ basement.

According to the director, Dr. Cool:

“All my vids are first inspired by the song. I knew as soon as I heard this squiggly, blissed-out summer jam that it was gonna be fun to animate to and match the vibe. It was actually the perfect song to hear for three months straight, so thanks, Nap Eyes! I think that if you’re in the right state of mind, this song could make you shed a single tear, so I hoped to make a video that would get someone to shed a second one. Not like a sad tear, but the kind that you get from staring into the sun on the last day of spring break. With that in mind I decided to focus on animating blasts of sunlight and depicting what a day feels like when it all goes your way despite a few twists in the road.”

Nap Eyes’ songwriter Nigel Chapman says:

“As you’ll see in the video, Dr. Cool’s imagination is intensely vivid and, perhaps it’s all right to say, mind-blowing. We are very lucky for this chance to collaborate with him, and grateful for the huge determination and patience it must have taken to create this powerful story from out of nothing, and fuse it to the ‘Enigma Bird’ song. For us it’s beautiful and moving to participate in this creation.”

Nape Eyes Live Dates

April 30,2025 – New York @ Brooklyn Steel with MJ Lenderman

Pre-order The Neon Gate HERE