Premiere: Information Society – ‘Bennington’ Lyric Video

Information Society formed in my homeland of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, in the 1980s, creating a potent iteration of freestyle & synth-pop that would comfortably resonate in clubs in Manhattan and on the radio with hits “What’s On Your Mind (Pure Energy)” and “Running.” Of course it didn’t stop there. Case in point: New single “Bennington,” the lyric video for which premieres here today.

On the propulsive and engaging “Bennington,” the innovative trio of Kurt Harland Larson, Paul Robb, and James Cassidy add their InSoc touch to a deep cut from fellow Minnesotan/electronic musician John Maus. In the lyrics, InSoc reorients Maus’s lyrics away from Bennington, the diminutive town in greater Minnesota (or the like-named Vermont college), to Hennepin Avenue — Minneapolis’s main drag that stretches across the hip Northeast part of the city through the oft-vibrant downtown (past the storied First Avenue music venue) and south to the popular Uptown and lakes areas. The longing for a lost love remains.

When the trio were in their 20s they spent their time on and around Hennepin Avenue, so the lyrical rework seemed to fit appropriately. InSoc recorded the song in November 2018 at Robb’s Think Thank Studio.

Relatedly, Vehlinggo stalwart Von Hertzog co-wrote InSoc’s “Nothing Prevails,” a single released last year. That single marked InSoc’s return to the legendary Tommy Boy label. Subsequent singles — 2018’s “World Enough” and the recently released “Bennington” — are also Tommy Boy releases.

“Bennington” is out now on streaming and other digital platforms.

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Feature Photo of Information Society by Darik Kobata.