With ‘My Love Is Right,’ the first track from her new album Ne pas trop stay bleue (to be released February 10), Laure Briard reconnected with her audience in a declaration of intention and love. Now the singer sheds light on the title track of her album, a song of personal motivation, a call to optimism and accomplishment, soaking in soul and sun. Set to music (spirited, playful) by Julien Gasc, and put to image (surreal, clairvoyant) by Ruby Cicero, ‘Ne pas trop rester bleue’ is – like the album that takes its name –timeless and warm, and sets its sights toward the future and making dreams come true. “I’m quite pessimistic in life,” explains Laure, “and this song is a way of reminding myself that you have to know how to put things into perspective. Rather than staying too down or brooding, I want to take advantage of all of life’s stages that pass us by so quickly.” “All of life’s stages that pass us by so quickly,” is what the Sicilian director Ruby Cicero dramatized for the track’s music video. Childhood, the journeys of adolescence, a wedding, childbirth, work, success, old age and, finally, death (or rebirth) appear together in the 3mn 25s clip which depict a surreal meeting between a fortune-teller and the singer, each surrounded by the whimsical embodiments of different phases of life. After having been inspired by Quentin Tarantino and David Lynch for the clip of the song ‘Não me diz nada’ (released in 2021 on Laure’s EP Eu Voo), Ruby Cicero pays tribute here to the Franco-Chilean director Alejandro Jodorowsky, with nods to the dreamlike, symbolist, and stylized aesthetics of his films (The Holy Mountain, El Topo) and to his activity as a cartomancer (Tarot de Marseille). A hint of Juliet of the Spirits by Federico Fellini also inspires this joyful and colorful production, where the blue of the costumes contrasts with the bright yellow of the sets. Enough to make the pupil quiver. “Several lives in a single life”: this is also what the clip of ‘Ne pas trop rester bleue’ reveals. In this swirling illustration of the song, the multiplication of the protagonist’s possible destinies are dizzying.
Christine And The Queens has shared new song ‘La chanson du chevalier’. The French artist’s new album Redcar les adorables étoiles is out next month, and will be accompanied by a short burst of live shows. Set to play two nights in Paris, he then crosses the channel for a special evening at London’s Royal Festival Hall on November 22. The latest preview has just gone live, featuring Chris in full flow at Redcar, accompanied by a masterpiece in late 19th century French sculpture. The use of l’Age d’airain in the video invites the viewer to contemplate representation of the male form, while the song itself – deeply atmospheric synth pop – sings of longing for a lost knight. Elements of the project’s previous work remain, but this feels emphatically new, playing with those familiar tropes in a refreshing way. [via Clash]
Rising dance duo piri & tommy have released a new music video for ‘on & on’, a single from their upcoming debut album, froge.mp3 which is due to drop next Friday, October 21, via Polydor Records. The record was announced last month. On the video, piri & tommy jest: “If you wanna see what a frog-induced trip looks like, go no further!” [via Dork]
Katie Crutchfield and Jess Williamson have released their collaborative album as Plains, I Walked With You A Ways. It comes with a music video for the track ‘Hurricanes’ that was directed by Aidy Bryant and inspired by the late Loretta Lynn’s ’70s television performances. “I had always had a vision of Aidy’s involvement in this video that really ended with just getting her in the room,” Crutchfield said in a statement. “I trusted that she had the answer for the perfect way to visually accompany this song and from the jump she just deeply understood our vision, at moments better than we could have even explained it ourselves. I’m thrilled that she was so generous with her time and creative energy and I’m thrilled with how this turned out.” Bryant added: “I’ve been a fan of Waxahatchee and Jess Williamson for a long time so when Katie asked if I would direct a music video for Plains I jumped at the chance. We had a talented, hardworking crew and paid homage to Loretta Lynn’s 70’s TV performances. I’m also going to drive the bus for their tour, so see you on the road!” And Williamson talked a bit more about the song: “’Hurricane’ was the last song that was written for our record. We knew we needed one more, and when Katie brought Hurricane to the table we both knew the album was complete. It was incredible for me to watch this song reveal itself; from the early moments of Katie playing it for me on an acoustic guitar just days before we went to make the album, and then blossoming in the studio with the band into this total banger with huge choruses. Aidy’s video is the perfect companion for this tune, and we had a blast working with her and her team to make the visual world for this one come to life.” [via Stereogum]
Newcastle folk/chamber-pop artist and songwriter Ruth Lyon releases her new single ‘Clown’, the second track to be heard from upcoming EP Direct Debit To Vogue, out November 26 via Pink Lane Records. The new EP was produced by John Parish (Aldous Harding, PJ Harvey, Parquet Courts) at his Bristol studio, and will also feature the recently released single ‘Trouble’. New single ‘Clown’ is released alongside an eye-catching video, created by filmmakers Antonia Luxem (Ex:Re) and Tegid Cartwright. A vivid explosion of colour and texture, surreal even without being comical or circus, the video seeks to reframe the idea of the “freak”, or perhaps, a Clown. Commenting on the video’s creation, Ruth said: “Working with filmmakers Antonia and Tegid with their direction, support and friendship gave me the confidence to explore a side of myself that we haven’t explored visually so far. I adore making videos but we always have a dilemma – how to portray the story and the movement without me being able to actually move that much? This is the first time I have used a mobility aid front and centre in my creative work and we had many discussions on how to frame it. We wanted to explore this idea of the inner clown; the line “though I may be bound down, I’m bonded to my own clown”. Being able to creatively explore myself through music, dance and costume gives me an immense power that societal constructs can often strip away from my community and this video is a celebration of that bold energy. I absolutely loved leading these wonderful dancers through the trees in a vibrant procession past dog walkers and morning joggers. People are gonna stare when you look different so I want to give them something to really stare at.” Exploring the temptation of reckless decisions, ‘Clown’ moves at an alluringly steady pace; led by a skittering drum beat and lilting piano progressions, Ruth’s sharp, self-aware prose (“I fell into the rhythm of you, dance like a Demon till the afternoon / Got hooked on feeling nothing, nice to be numb”) weave around the instrumentals in seamless fashion. Speaking more on the lyrical inspiration behind new single ‘Clown’, Ruth said: “Jim Morrison said of himself: ‘I think of myself as an intelligent, sensitive human but with the soul of a clown which always forces me to blow it at the most crucial moments.’ I totally relate! We’ve all got that clown living inside of us, leading us down a crazy lane, tripping us up at the last turn in the road when we think it’s all going so well. But, that’s sometimes when I feel most alive.”
Gemma Laurence has shared one of her catchiest songs yet: ‘Watchdog.’ ‘Watchdog’ hurdles us into the snowy foothills of Vermont to witness the beautiful, fickle, and anxiety-producing beginnings of a new relationship. Painting a picture of woodsmoke lingering in crisp cabin air and the rosy alpenglow dancing off the Green Mountains, Laurence transports her listeners into a scene so picturesque it’s too good to be true. “I think I’d like to learn to trust you a little more,” she sings, “But my watchdog heart is sleeping by the backdoor / With one eye open, waiting for you to go with the next snow.” Laurence shares a short film to accompany the single directed by Kyle Wright, written by Devin McGrath-Conwell and Wright, and produced by Wright, McGrath-Conwell, Paul Steiner and Emilee Bae. It was shot by Conor Murdock and stars Lauren Norvelle alongside Gemma Laurence in her on-screen debut. Inspired by 1970’s Mafia films, ‘Watchdog’ (the film) dives head-first into the gritty underworld of the 70’s crime scene…. but this time, it’s gay. The film finds The Don (played by Laurence) sitting in her office surrounded by her rat pack, feeling jaded despite her newly found success. She’s Brooklyn’s newest top dog in the underworld crime scene, but it’s lonely at the top. Enter: Adrienne (played by Norvelle), her newest right-hand-woman and confidante. Adrienne presents a new romantic intrigue, but also represents the scrappy, ambitious, up-and-comer that the Don once saw in herself. The video grapples with their relationship with each other, and also with the Consigliere (played by Francesca Pastore), who has her own secrets up her sleeve. A gritty, bloody love triangle ensues in the highly stylized landscape of a 1970’s underworld crime syndicate. On making the film, director Kyle Wright shares: “When Gemma and I first started talking about making a short for one of the songs on Lavender, we bounced several ideas back and forth. All the while, one unifying theme consistently made itself known: trust, and learning how to trust again after being hurt. For me, of all the wonderful songs on her album, Watchdog projects this question most earnestly.” Wright adds: “As a filmmaker, I seek to pair seemingly contradictory elements that comment on each other with strange fluency. It was in thinking about this and Watchdog that I realized why I love crime movies. The genre necessitates vulnerability from the hardened. The stories pivot around the fragility of characters in violent, unforgiving worlds. In these films, one theme always remains central: trust, and the consequences of violating it. While my favorite crime epics often climax in tragedy, Watchdog demanded the possibility for hope, for learning to trust again. With the support of an incredible crew and cast, that intention allowed me to find the kind of unexpected juxtaposition I crave and, I hope, brings Gemma’s intimate and confessional music into even sharper focus.” Laurence shares: “The music video is off the walls – there’s gunshots and blood and intense Sapphic yearning gazes and crazy 1970’s leather bell bottoms. It’s this intense crime-ridden love triangle that’s bloody and violent and gay as hell.” Laurence continues, “I had never acted on screen before and it was such a delight working alongside Kyle and Lauren and such an accomplished cast and crew – I mean, these people have worked on huge movie sets, and now they’re helping me make a music video? That’s insane! I felt completely overwhelmed with gratitude and awe while on set, watching these people in their element. There’s so much hard work and dedication that went into this production, and I couldn’t be more proud of what we made.”
The seamless combination of Carly Rae Jepsen and Rufus Wainwright is rivaled only by the balance Jepsen strikes between disco and pop in her latest single ‘The Loneliest Time,’ the title track of her forthcoming sixth studio album due October 21. The cinematic music video only adds fuel to the duo-we-never-knew-we-needed fire. The video looks like it’s taken directly from old Hollywood, bringing to life what Jepsen and Wainwright harmonized in the first verse, “Just like Shakespeare wrote a tragedy / But our story, never finished it / ‘Cause our love, we never finished it.” Jepsen flies (literally) from her apartment window to Wainwright’s rooftop, where they delightfully dance and commit to giving elusive love another try “’cause we’ve had the loneliest time.” [via UPROXX]
Vera Ellen has shared her first new release since 2021’s Flying Nun solo album It’s Your Birthday. ‘Homewrecker’ plays with the idealised fantasy of sparking chaos in perhaps not others’ lives, but in one’s own. Directed by Albert River and made with support from NZ On Air, Ellen struts on a roof amongst a cast of models and smokes in a vogueish recline in the song’s accompanying clip — a nod to “The King of Cool” Dean Martin’s 1983 visuals for ‘Since I Met you Baby’. The graphic assault of colour and glamour work against Ellen’s desolate lyrics, where the Herculean body of water seems as biting as it is rich. The clip later reveals the green screen, as if to lift the curtain on the attractive intensity of fantasy. “‘Homewrecker’ is the personification of my inner demon forcing its way in to create chaos where it senses harmony. I’m my own home wrecker. Ain’t we all?” says Vera Ellen. [via Under The Radar]
Australian indie pop artists Holly Hebe, Ivoris and Zhuli have joined forces on the endlessly engaging new single ‘Supervillain’, showcasing an effortless sense of chemistry and charm on the new release. The track tackles the idea of people who like to create alternative stories and realities within their head to justify their behaviour and make them the “good guy”, making you the villain in the process. Despite this however, ‘Supervillain’ has an gorgeous, breezy and feel-good nature to it, with a soundscape that melts you within its immersive softness and appeal. The track just has this incredible sense of chemistry, feeling smooth and affable throughout. The vocal performances have this soft sense of power to them, and the production creates this cloud-like sense of euphoria and bliss throughout the track. This is a really rewarding and likable release that elevates everybody involved in it. [via clout clout clout]
Rising alt-pop artist KiNG MALA (AKA Areli Castro) has released her sophomore EP, honey catching season via Handwritten Records. The nine track EP finds the artist embodying the idea of radical self acceptance and finding a renewed sense of identity and purpose. “I’ve spent the past 24 years coming to terms with who I am, my past, my mental illness, my body, my sexuality, my failures, my wins, my career, my love life and everything in between,” Castro explains. “For me, these songs are about finding a way to love myself through any means necessary.” The release highlights new track ‘martyr’ with a seductive new music video. “’Martyr’ is about a lover of mine that made me feel like I was everything, like I was the beginning and the end of his universe. It’s as simple as that, it’s a song about being adored (as you should be) by the person you love. It’s about being someone’s saint, church and religion.” [via Prelude Press]
One of girl in red’s breakthrough hits was ‘We Fell In Love In October,’ a wistful indie-pop love song built on simple drums, echo-laden guitars, and elegant orchestral strings. Now, girl in red has released a sequel. The standalone single ‘October Passed Me By’ pushes further into that autumnal sonic palette. It was produced remotely by the National’s Aaron Dessner, who helped Taylor Swift achieve a similar aesthetic on folklore and evermore. The lyrics are somewhat Swiftian as well: “Yeah, I got bitter when you got cold/ Could you really blame me though?/ You know this song is about you/ Who else could it be?/ You were the first to make me/ Feel like I was me/ You’re just a memory.” Marie Ulven, the girl in red herself, shared this statement about the song: “‘October Passed Me By’ has been living in the back of my head since June 2021. Every fall since I put out we fell in love in October in 2018, I was encouraged to do things on social media to talk about the song again. Making TikToks, Instagram posts and other things about a song I made years ago never felt honest. I’m not in the same place as I was when I wrote the song, emotionally or artistically, so pretending to be so felt boring and uninteresting. So, I never did any of that; but last year something happened in my personal love life that brought up a lot of feelings that I had to confront internally. I met Aaron Dessner in the fall of 2021. I told him I had this song that I had written and wanted to make but I hadn’t started recording it yet. I had never worked with him, so for me it felt like an interesting and also lowkey thing to try out. I finished writing the song in Oslo and LA, working remotely with Aaron and with my great friend Matias Tellez on mix. ‘October Passed Me By’ is where I’m at today, emotionally and musically. Grateful for what has been, and full of love for a very special person that made a huge impact on me as a person. And also, I thought it was way cooler to expand the we fell in love in October universe artistically, rather than making some uninspired videos that will disappear into the black hole of content that is TikTok. PS: I will probably make TikToks too. lol.” ‘October Passed Me By’ premiered along with a short film directed by Gustav Johansson, starring Lisa Loven Kongsli and Ruth Vega Fernandes as older versions of the characters from the ‘We Fell In Love In October’ video. [via Stereogum]
Montreal artist, Hanorah has released a stunning new video for her song ‘The Drudge’. The song is the third single from her debut album Perennial, out now. “Paul De Rita, who I’ve been playing and writing with since I started out, is the mastermind behind this one,” Hanorah says. “He made a really unusual-sounding demo that was groovy and strange, unlike anything either of us had done before. I need to quote him here: “I was but a channel for ‘The Drudge’. It already existed, but it chose me as its channel, so I cannot claim its creation.” When he brought this wild recording to me, I asked him what story he wanted. He imagined something that evoked the same mood as Toby, from The Office. So I wrote out some burnout words inspired by the show and by Paul’s own catchphrases and came up with the melody at the mic as he sat next to me at the computer. I still get nervous doing that now. The final version we made with Jacques at Studio Opus is perhaps cleaner but still has the off-kilter quality that the delirium of the 9-5 merits. I made up the bridge vocals on the last day in the studio, which my best friend Christian sang. It was inspired by a close yet mysterious acquaintance of ours who drives a Cadillac, which we have borrowed to get to the studio a few times. I often wonder how people can afford their lives, and that Cadillac just stuck with me. I used to hate music about money, but the older I get, the more I understand. Paying bills is a drag, and they just keep coming.“ [via Montreal Rocks]
