Finn Wolfhard, known for his role as Mike Wheeler in Stranger Things, has a name built for rock-and-roll, so perhaps it’s no surprise that he’s a friend and fan of fellow Canadians PUP. One of his first acting gigs was for their 2014 video “Guilt Trip”, and back in September, he introduced them at the Polaris Prize gala. Now, he’s back to continue the story of “Guilt Trip” in the band’s video for “Sleep in the Heat”.
Taken from PUP’s sophomore record, The Dream Is Over, “Sleep in the Heat” is possibly the most punk rock song about the death of a beloved pet ever written, and its video pays heartbreaking homage to that. In addition to serving as tribute to the band members’ real-life animal companions, the clip finds Wolfhard, as a younger version of frontman Stefan Babcock, befriending a lovable stray dog. The pup joins PUP on the road, but soon falls ill, leading Wolfhard/Babcock to sell his guitar for the veterinary bills. But if you know the song at all, well, you know how this story has to end.
“Sleep In The Heat is a song about my chameleon Norman, who passed away while we were writing this record,” Babcock explained in a press release. “[Director] Jeremy [Schaulin-Rioux] was the one who thought we should make a video for this song. He has this really weird one-eyed grumpy cat that he loves a lot, and I guess the song got him thinking about what it’s going to be like when she’s gone. Losing a friend is something so many of us have had to deal with, which is why I think this video is so powerful.”
Watch the touching video above.
