Meet Refestramus’ Main Instrumentalists in New Music Video, “Side Hustle” Stay in touch with Band Muse, the Amazing Agent M!
Refestramus’ new music video “Side Hustle, from the group’s “Intouríst” album, premieres July 12, 2024, at 6 PM CT/4 PM PT/Midnight on Saturday the 13th UK Time. The video introduces the Refestramus’ instrumental members (drummer/composer/wizard Derek Ferguson, guitarist/bassist Derek Pavlic, producer/flute player Ian Beabout, and saxophonist Mitch Lawrence – saxes) and continues exposing the on camera life of the band’s muse, the Amazing Agent Mikrovolnovka!
The song, “Side Hustle” presents a multitude of ententes. Derek notes that as “side hustles” are “little entrepreneurial efforts that people try while they are working their main jobs – hoping to find some way of becoming their own bosses. Then there’s the phrase ‘ side piece, which I’m told refers to someone with whom someone is having an affair. I think the protagonist of the song is trying to convince the object of their affection – a noble person– to think of an affair not so much as becoming a ‘side piece’ that it’s ‘only’ a ‘side hustle.’” In the video, it’s Agent M when she’s undercover — first as an accountant and then as a librarian. Those were her ‘side hustles.”
The song, which originally recorded on Colouratura’s recent album “WTF Was That?!.” Was inspired while Derek was walking his dog, and thinking it was a great piece for his band, Refestramus…. But then he remembered that Colouratura’s Ian Beabout played flute. ” So, the song itself has become a kind of side hustle for me.’”
Prog UK says “Intouríst” is “likeable, uplifting… a home-cooked slice of melody rich prog.” They conclude that “… the smile on its face is infectious.”
Progressor.net calls “Intouríst” a “love letter to the music and spirit of the 1970s” that is “worth a check”
Refestramus. Named after a word his mother made up to mean “rearrange,” Derek and his producer – Colouratura’s Ian Beabout – liked it because it wasn’t a legitimate word. “A web search will only turn up our band!”
Refestramus was born May 2020 as Derek’s home studio project during the COVID pandemic. Having been in a variety of progressive rock bands in his native Chicago and an avid listener of Ian Beabout’s Internet radio program “Prog Rock Deep Cuts,” he reached out to Ian to mix and master the recordings. Ian, who plays flute and sings on some tracks on Intouríst, introduced Derek to Colouratura bandmates Derek Pavlic and Nathan James, Saxophonist Mitch Lawrence and Wisconsin multi-instrumentalist Jerry King, who plays bass on Intouríst. Adding prog multi-instrumentalist Dave Newhouse, who contributed accordion, helped Derek Ferguson guide the album to completion.
Refestramus’ debut album, “Decoupage,” was released in December 2021. In 2022, Refestramus released the EP, “From the Sublime to the Ridiculous.”
Refestramus New Music Video “Side Hustle” will premier on YouTube Friday, July 12th at 7:00 PM Central Standard Time.
“Side Hustle” is the 6th track from the latest album “Intouríst” the song tells a story of workplace attraction and temptation, blending sensuality and intrigue. An extended metaphor. Since the music is clearly Tull-inspired, I figured I’d do a lyric like Ian Anderson might have done in the late ‘80s. In a bit of a much-needed modernization, though, it is purposefully gender-neutral. – Derek Ferguson
“Side Hustle” exemplifies Refestramus’s ability to create music that is both innovative and deeply resonant. Its critical and fan acclaim underscores its importance in the band’s discography and highlights the band’s continuous evolution in their artistic journey.
The single features: Ian Beabout — Flute, Derek Ferguson – Drums, Nathan James – Lead Vocals, Bass Derek Pavlic – Guitars, Rogelio Souza – Keys Mitch Lawrence – Saxes
Monica Pop returns as the Librarian/Accountant/Muse in the music video.
“Side Hustle” appears on “Intourist” the third album by Refestramus, released May 3rd, 2024, a testament to the band’s innovative spirit and musical craftsmanship. Its release has not only cemented their place in contemporary music but has also set a high bar for their future endeavors. Fans and newcomers alike are drawn to the album’s depth and the journey it offers through its evocative tracks.
Along with the release of the new prog rock album, “Intourist,” on Saturday, May 4 at 12 PM noon CT / 1:00 PM ET / 10 AM PT / 7 PM Amsterdam time, Refestramus’ new music video will be played on YouTube at
Directed by Anna Fokin, “Smiling” features Romanian actress/actor Monica Pop (https://www.facebook.com/MonicaPopArt) as Agent M. Refestramus’ drummer/songwriter/Wizard Derek Ferguson discovered Ms. Fokin’s work on YouTube, where she has “the absolute best video series for learning Russian”: (https://www.youtube.com/@yourrussian6200).
Derek loves “recurring characters, like ‘Aqualung’ and ‘Cross-Eyed Mary,’ which appear in multiple Jethro Tull songs. Combined with my belief that Prog needs to be more photogenic, I created the character Agent Mikrovolnovka, which is a joke. ‘Mikrovolnovka’ sounds mysterious and alluring, but it is actually the Russian word for ‘microwave oven.’”
Both the song and video for “Smiling” are about maintaining other people’s happiness by not expressing your own displeasure. There’s a bit in the middle of the video and song where the music stops, the aquarium breaks, and all the water breaks loose, and that’s a metaphor for bottling things up and then having them all spill out.
Art rock group Refestramus, pronounced re-fes-TRA-mus, is named after a word that Derek’s mother made up to mean “rearrange.” Colouratura’s Ian Beabout produced the new album, “Intourist” (Melodic Revolution Records)!
Much of the group was found on Fiverr.com: Induction lead singer Craig Cairns, Brazilian keyboardist maestro Rogelio Desouza, and rock vocalists NIDA, Denisse Ferrara, and Vedrana Lina. The rest of the group came from work connections Ian and Derek have, including Colouratura bandmates Derek Pavlic and Nathan James, saxophonist Mitch Lawrence, plus multi-instrumentalists Jerry King (bass) and Dave Newhouse (accordion).
Derek sums up his band’s mission, “Our music seeks to embrace the full spectrum of human emotions, weaving narratives that reflect both the peaks and valleys of life, in line with Prog Magazine’s praise of our ‘high-brow concepts and bizarre comedic turns.'”
(Art Rock Wizard Derek Ferguson Dealing with Darkness, Depth of Light and Darkness)
Coming May 4 is “Intourist,” the third album from Refestramus, and the album’s new music video “Smiling.” The video premiere is set for 12 PM CT/10 AM PT (Friday night/Saturday morning) on May 4 at https://youtu.be/WYJ_I0f236c
Bandcamp fans will be able to hear and download the ArtRock album, “Intourist” this Thursday night/Friday morning (April 4 and 5) at midnight on https://refestramus.bandcamp.com/
“I’m the writer, I play drums, I pay for everything,” states Derek Ferguson, the Wizard who leads the progressive rock studio ensemble known as Refestramus. Named after a word his mother made up to mean “rearrange,” Derek and his producer – Colouratura’s Ian Beabout – liked it because it wasn’t a legitimate word, “A web search will only turn up our band!,” which means the latest search for “Refestramus” will show their new album, Intourist (Melodic Revolution Records)!
As the bearer of this music, Derek’s powers are rooted in inspiration through his writing and finding musicians. He discovered many on the Internet gig site, Fiverr.com: Gifted voices adorn Intourist: Induction lead singer Craig Cairns, rock vocalists NIDA, Denisse Ferrara, and Vedrana Lina. Brazilian keyboardist maestro Rogelio Desouza is also a Fiverr artist.
Derek writes from the depth of emotion. The album’s first video, “Smiling,” he says, “delves into the complexity of concealing one’s sadness to maintain others’ happiness, offering a poignant reflection on the masks we wear in society.”
Refestramus was born May 2020 as Derek’s home studio project during the COVID pandemic. Having been in a variety of progressive rock bands in his native Chicago and an avid listener of Ian Beabout’s Internet radio program “Prog Rock Deep Cuts,” he reached out to Ian to mix and master the recordings. Ian, who plays flute and sings on some tracks on Intourist, introduced Derek to Colouratura bandmates Derek Pavlic and Nathan James, Saxophonist Mitch Lawrence and Wisconsin multi-instrumentalist Jerry King, who plays bass on Intourist. Adding prog multi-instrumentalist Dave Newhouse, who contributed accordion, helped Derek Ferguson guide the album to completion.
Favorite songs on Intourist include “The Red Apple” based on Maxim Gorkiy’s story about a gypsy horse thief and themes of rejection and longing. “Asunción” is a heartfelt tribute to the city of Asunción, “You know how bands used to say ‘we’re big in Japan’? We’re big in Paraguay – they even play us on their national radio station there from time to time!” “Side Hustle” is a Jethro Tull inspired song. “‘Mr. Darwin’ offers a lighthearted take on human survival and natural selection.” The album’s title track is a 3-part epic that combines themes of resilience with the supernatural realms on earth including “zombie love” in the third part of the track, “Intourist.”
In addition to acoustic versions of “Asunción” and “The Red Apple,” the physical CD features a cover of Spirit’s “Mr. Skin.” Spirit is one of Derek’s favorite bands, and he points out, “the songwriter here also has the last name Ferguson”
Refestramus’ debut album, Decoupage, was released in December of 2021. Expose’s Peter Thelen, who has reviewed thousands of Progressive Rock albums over the years, declared it a “Solid opening move.” In 2022, Refestramus released the EP, From the Sublime to the Ridiculous, which featured possibly the “Prog-iest” track on the album “The Devil Returns” – drawing inspiration heavily from Bulgakov’s famous novel “The Master and Margarita.”
Experience the outlandish inspiration behind Refestramus’ latest hit on their upcoming album, Intouríst. Derek Ferguson, the creative force of the Chicago-based ensemble, transforms the true life, bizarre account of a televangelist’s wife and her otherworldly seducer into a musical odyssey. “Agent M Vs. the Sex Lizard,’ the provocative second chapter of the album’s title trilogy, comes to life through a mesmerizing music video featuring the enigmatic Agent Mikrovolnovka. Dive into the intrigue before the full album drops on May 4th.
Refestramus, the progressive art rock ensemble hailing from Chicago, IL, renowned for blending influences from traditional gypsy, flamenco, and Slavic styles with a modern hard rock edge, Refestramus made waves with their debut album, “Decoupage,” in 2021. Now, in 2023, they’re teasing fans with a glimpse of the even more progressive direction they’re taking with “Intouríst.” Following the album drop, the band plans an extensive tour to support their latest musical venture.
“Refestramus is joined on this track by Colouratura members Derek Pavlic and Ian Beabout, as well as Jerry King from Moon X.”
Refestramus Derek Ferguson – Drums, Jerry King – Bass, Derek Pavlic – Guitars, Mellotron and Viola, Rogelio Souza – Keys Nida – Vocals
All arrangements by Refestramus Produced by Ian Beabout and Derek Ferguson Mixed and Mastered by Ian Beabout
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