Weird Nightmare, the power pop-leaning project from METZ guitarist and singer Alex Edkins, has shared an official video for the new single “Forever Elsewhere,” available today on all digital service providers. Co-produced with Jim Eno of Spoon “Forever Elsewhere” is an upbeat and invigorating blast of rock guitar and irresistible hooks. It illustrates a clear departure from the lo-fi bedroom recordings of the Weird Nightmare debut LP and a big step forward into wide screen high-fidelity, shout-along anthems.
 
Edkins says about the song: “‘Forever Elsewhere’ is the most optimistic song I’ve written to date. I wanted to send an unequivocal positive message into the world. The line ‘Love, it will come,’ summarizes the overall theme: if things feel hopeless and the world is bleak, don’t give up, keep pushing. I like to think of it as a pep talk wrapped in fuzzy guitars.
 
I recorded with Seth Manchester (he engineered the last two METZ records) and Jim Eno (Spoon), and we tracked this one really quickly. Drummer Loel Campbell (Wintersleep) and Roddy Kuester (Julianna Riolino/Sadies) nailed it in 2 takes, and you can really hear the ramshackle energy in the song where the wheels almost fall off a couple of times. We tried to keep it loose.”
 
You can watch the charming and very fun new video here and now, shot on Super 8 film, and directed by long-time collaborator and friend, Colin Medley.
 
The band is confirmed to perform live on Oct. 10th at Nowadays Festival in Halifax and Oct. 11th at Sportsmans in Charlottetown, Canada with more North American touring to follow in 2026.

 

Fri. Oct. 10 - Halifax, NS - Nowadays Festival
Sat. Oct. 11 -  Charlottetown, PEI - Sportsmans  

Best known as the vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter of Toronto noise rock legends METZ, Edkins has allowed his pop sensibilities to flourish under the Weird Nightmare moniker, releasing a full-length album in 2022 and a series of ultra-catchy singles on Sub Pop Records. Imagine The Breeders covering Big Star, or the gloriously hissy miniature epics of classic-era Guided by Voices combined with the bombast of Copper Blue-era Sugar—just tons of red-line distortion cut with the type of tunecraft that thrills the moment it hits your ears.

 
What people have been saying about Weird Nightmare:
 
“Weird Nightmare is all about hooks and melody. Still delivered with levels in the red, but these are ultracatchy powerpop songs first and foremost, and really good ones at that.” - Brooklyn Vegan
 
“The debut Weird Nightmare album from METZ guitarist/vocalist Alex Edkins is a hook-filled set of blown-out power-pop with distorted guitars, punchy rhythms and bright pop melodies.” - KEXP
 
“‘Wrecked,’ Weird Nightmare’s third and latest single is a driving and ardent guitar pop anthem centered around big hooks, enormous power chords and sweetly, lived-in lyricism.” - [“Wrecked”] Joy of Violent Movement
 
“All chiming chords and smart harmonies, ‘Wrecked’ is a boisterous ode to ’90s indie-rock and everything that followed.” -  [“Wrecked”] Guitar World