Imagine Dragons have been waiting three years for today: On Tuesday (April 17), they premiered their video for "It's Time," the breakout (currently at #17 and climbing on rock radio) single from their Continued Silence EP. The clip represents the first fruits of their new deal with Interscope Records, and, for a band that has taken its time to get to this point, well, they're definitely enjoying the moment.
"We had this idea in our heads for a long time, but, you know, we could never make it," frontman Dan Reynolds told. "Until we found a director who could bring it to life. We went out to Barstow [California] — which is between Las Vegas and L.A., and we've made that drive many times, because we're from Vegas — and we shot it on a dry lake bed. It was our first time doing a music video, so it was a really awesome experience."
And while the clip — basically an updated take on the old "Jack and the Beanstalk" tale, with the band starring the band as mystic travelers in a very dark world, carrying a very special parcel — certainly looks cool, it also works as a rather apt metaphor for Imagine Dragons' rise. Since forming in Vegas in 2009, Imagine Dragon (the current MTV PUSH Artist of the Week) have been on one long voyage; one that's certainly had its share of ups and downs along the way.
"I remember one gig [where] we were playing a casino, in Vegas, and it was a really small stage," guitarist Wayne Sermon smiled. "We played a four-hour set — we'd do those two to three times a week — and we were exhausted, and Dan passes out in the middle of the last song, falls on the drum set, the drums go everywhere, and it was horrible, but we finished the song."
"And all these drunk guys were like, 'Wooo!' " Reynolds laughed. "But it didn't hurt; I was so tired, it was sort of nice to have a little break."
So with their first proper video out in the world, and plans to begin work on their full-length debut already in the works, Imagine Dragons continue to march on. And in that regard, things are still the same as they've ever been.
"It's crazy. We've been a band for three years, living on the road, eating bean burritos every day, and we're still eating bean burritos every day, but it's been incredible to see the support that we've gotten," Reynolds said. "We really owe so much to our fans who, from the very beginning, have been sharing the music. And we live in a world where things can happen so quickly, and we're glad we've had three years to really prepare. ... We've been doing it for a little while, and it feels good ... and right."