VIDEO PICKS: Alison Sudol, Elizabeth M Drummond, Spacemoth, Spring Summer
Alison Sudol – Meteor Showers
With her new single and video, “Meteor Showers,” singer/songwriter and actress Alison Sudol announces her upcoming album, Still Come The Night, out September 30th via Kartel Music Group. The fascinating video provides a rather intimate glimpse of Alison Sudol performing self-imposed actions and rituals. The video is directed by Sudol’s close collaborator and creative director Federico Nessi (also responsible for the upcoming album’s art direction and the video concept,) who explains that the visuals:
stemmed from the song’s hypnotically repetitive beat and Alison’s stoic tone – a mystical force seducing the listener to join in on a meditative journey of self-exploration.
And Alison adds:
Federico’s vision for “Meteor Shower” matched the heartbeat of the song and leaned into it. Sitting with grief – whether noticed or not – kinetic ritual. I had never seen tapping before Fede introduced it to me but I have done it naturally at different points in my life. Energy and emotion can get trapped and settle in parts of the body. There’s a tremendous amount of power in movement and healing in touch.
Amazing! Definitely food for thoughts and stunning visuals and beautiful music to go with. Watch the video now:
Elizabeth M Drummond – Congratulations
“Congratulations” is the second single of Australian musician Elizabeth M Drummond. The video directed by McLean Stephenson shows her in some vague discomfort. But it all becomes apparent when you read her statement for the song:
Like the rest of the EP, this song is personal. Writing it was just therapy for myself. As cliché as it sounds, I needed to channel my pain and anger into something that felt intense, but also tongue in cheek. Similarly with my first song ‘Crisis’, I had completely surrendered to how bad I felt and I just put it all into my writing. My favorite lyric from this song is “I don’t care”, because I really reached a point where I just didn’t care anymore
Watch the video now:
Spacemoth – Round in Loops
Spacemoth is the project of San Francisco-based musician Maryam Qudus. She is about to release her debut album “No Past No Future” this Friday via Wax Nine Records. In the meantime, enjoy the retro-futuristic video for “Round in Loops,” which is co-directed by herself.
Watch the video now:
Spring Summer – Small Town
San Franciso-based artist Jennifer Furches, who goes by the moniker Spring Summer, adds another mesmerizing piece to her stunning album T.E.A.R.S, which just came out. Spring Summer enlisted director Aaron Beckum and cinematographer Drew Bienemann to create an enigmatic video that takes the viewer on a journey, feeding the desire to know more without taking away anything from the quiet and gorgeous track. the video was shot on 16mm film and sees Furches in somewhat a double role and then again not.
“Small Town” is co-produced by Jason and Robert Schwartzman alongside Warpaint’s Jenny Lee Lindberg, whose production credits span the full album. Asked about the track, Furches says:
This was the first track we recorded for the album and it’s the most special to me for many reasons. I played it for Jason months before, and we spent a day messing around with it and talking about what it could be. Then Jenny listened to demo after demo and gave great notes. Robert met us all in the studio, with legend Dave Trumfio at the board, and we recorded live on our first day together. It really couldn’t exist this way without the ideas of all these people I love so much. It’s what I always want making music to be like. Lyrically, it started with reminiscing about home and high school and old relationships, but it’s also about how Los Angeles can feel like such a small town sometimes.
The song itself is beautiful, and the video picks up on that poetic beauty. In its feel, it reminds me of Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence” minus the king and plus the reaper. Director Beckum adds:
I felt like the emotional core of this song was hitting something deep and primal. It’s about escaping and letting go and being reborn. I wanted to make something almost mythological that transcended the specifics of the lyrics. It sort of became about the idea that once you let go and acknowledge the certainty of death you start to realize that we’re all just along for the ride in this crazy existence. And if you can get your ego to relax a little, you can shed some of that armor. ‘Death is driving’ so you might as well hop in the front seat and enjoy the ride.
Well done – it hits the right nerve. Watch the video now: