As far as sources of psychedelic hallucinations go, licking a toad’s back might be the most unconventional way of going about it. However, the recent discovery of 5-MeO-DMT being commonly found in the Sonoran desert toad’s venom suddenly made the usage of toads skyrocket. They also happen to be one of the inspirations behind “Toad Venom,” the newest single off psych rock band Timothy Eerie’s upcoming album, Work free drug place, via Hypnotic Bridge and Green Witch Records.
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Sharing the same name as its frontman and acting as a reference to psychologist Timothy Leary, the project began in 2015 as a DIY bedroom project before becoming a constantly alternating lineup of musicians, ensuring the band never repeats itself and continuously experiments with new ideas.
Amid their fall east coast tour, with the last date slated for their hometown of Orlando on Oct. 22, “Toad Venom” sees Timothy Eerie playing their instruments as loud as possible without waking themselves up from their daze.
Screeching louder than two buzzsaws brushing up against each other, the guitar on the track is a good indicator of the band’s hellbent need to keep experimenting. They might be a psych rock band, but garage rock also makes its way to the surface of their music, as evident by the electrifying guitars and galloping drums. The lack of a clear destination within the song makes for a mind-bending experience that’s easy to get lost in before it becomes more beneficial to come along for the ride and revel in the band tearing shit up.
When your song is this strange, it’s only suitable for the visuals to be equally hallucinatory. Directed by Preston Spurlock, a multimedia artist and musician also from Florida, the music video is about as chaotic as the single.
Constantly moving between old archived footage, videos of the band performing, a Baphomet drawing, and animated toads jumping all over the frame, the video is not something you’d expect from a music video. It is perhaps better suited for mind-controlling others into joining a cult due to how unconventional and, at times, uncomfortable of a watch it is. But it proves to be effective in capturing the feeling of going through a trip, good or bad.
If it weren’t obvious already, Timothy Eerie has a hyper-fixation of psychedelics and its effects. But rarely is it an intentional point of reference. “The lyrics are about dealing with uncomfortable experiences, but I never think about what a song will be about before I start writing it,” said Eerie. “It’s more of a stream-of-consciousness approach.” With or without drugs, “Toad Venom” will still fix that need for something new and exciting.
Words: David Sosa
“Toad Venom” by Timothy Eerie is out on all streaming services. For more on new music and tickets to their ongoing tour, follow them on Instagram and Bandcamp.
