Orange County’s rippers and IDIOTEQ-featured band DINERBOY have unleshed their new music video to their latest single, “BETTER HOME. Drawing inspiration from Ghostbusters, DINERBOY uses this visual homage to explore raw, unfiltered emotions.
The video opens with a woman calling the “DINERBOY PARANORMAL EXTERIMINATORS” to help her get rid of a lingering ghost. The band of misfits wastes no time getting ready to cleanse her house of all the unusual, “spooky” activity. Moving through haunted rooms illuminated by strobing lights, DINERBOY discovers wig-wearing ghosts rocking out with instruments and disturbing the peace.
The inspiration behind the video was to incorporate the band’s love of film and comedy into their personal narrative. Drummer Jimmy Brown explains, “We are a team of dreamers. We’re all really good at ideas, and I think the sign of a good idea is when it necessitates action from everyone. Once someone threw out paranormal punk we knew, yeah ok we’re doing it.”
Using the concept of “paranormal punk,” the band explores a more personal side, using comedy as a framework to share their experience with the loss of a loved one. Brown says, “Humor is the ultimate defense mechanism. It’s at the heart of our band no matter what topic we tackle. So when it comes to something as heavy as loss, either a broken relationship or someone passing on to the other side, that’s sort of how we approach it. We’re haunted by “ghosts” – memories, decisions, parts of us that transcend space and time – but I think there is also beauty, comedy, and light. And when it comes down to it, I hope we’re still a band on the other side.”
DINERBOY unpacks the idea that although loss comes with pain, there is still room to find hope. The imagery of ghosts and spirits serves as a natural extension of this theme, demonstrating the idea that the presence of a loved one can transcend loss. Casey Snyder says, “Ali can confirm but it’s really about the loss of a family member and not actually a love song though it can sound that way at a surface level. So it’s a pretty short jump from that into thinking of their ghost or spirit being near or looking for a new home.”
David Giali mentioned, “In some ways, being in a relationship with someone who is so checked out can feel like living with a ghost? They feel stuck there and are just left haunting your everyday life. You’re in the room but you’re miles away”
During production, the band took a complete DIY approach, shooting and producing the video themselves. Filming took place at Brown’s house, where the band eventually discovered that his place is actually haunted. Snyder said, “during the shooting of the opening we all found out Jimmy’s house is extremely haunted and his face when realizing it was hilarious. Other than that, we’re laughing almost constantly when working on stuff like this.” The unexpected discovery added a layer of comedic irony to the video, making the experience more fitting with the paranormal theme. Brown adds, “Apparently my house is haunted. We shot the intro with Mackie from Miswired who actually is a real life ghostbuster. She brought her gadgets and they went OFF in my house.”
DINBERBOY is a united team that brings collective ideas to the table without fear. Their format of cultivating a positive atmosphere inside and out of the band is obvious as they bring forth unique and exciting ways to add comedy into music while keeping the sound and visuals elegant and mature.
Sonically, “BETTER HOME” is visceral. Its sincere songwriting brings both joy and pain in the same room, allowing the track to become whatever the listener needs to be. Touching on themes such as interpersonal connection, alienation, and loneliness, love, the song explores a wide range of emotional dimensions. Beginning with Ali Aboudaya’s vulnerable words, “Long nights into deep nights. I saw my soul and I’m still reaching for you. Closed eyes selling blind lies. I gave my all,” DINERBOY creates a welcoming atmosphere where like-minded misfits can share the same space
Much like the video, DINERBOY moves through rooms with genuine intention. Unafraid to push boundaries, the band takes creative risks, incorporating electronic elements with a hardcore punk sensibility. Unapologetically doing things their own way, the video captures their sense of humor while displaying their vulnerability in true DINERBOY fashion. Balancing comedic relief with a willingness to confronting real issues head-on, the band uses their platform to embrace the difficulties of being human and remind us that we are not alone
This is only the beginning for DINERYBOY. Stay tuned for what’s to come.
