Credit: Felix Hidajat
Bloom: I wanted to tell a story of two people who endured similar trials and tribulations coming together and overcoming their past in order to create a better future for themselves.
Bloom was the first video that we shot in studio, so the night before we filmed we had to go in and paint the whole wall by ourselves. We went home tired, sore, and beaten down beyond belief, slept for a brief three or four hours, and went back to the studio to begin filming immediately. We teamed up with the wonderful ladies and gentlemen at 3rd Shift Dance in Seattle, and they came out and worked with us for multiple shoots. Since then, we’ve become good friends with all of them and love collaborating with them whenever possible. Given how hectic that day was, we were really happy with how the video came out. I wish we had time to film everything I had envisioned, but that was the price we had to pay when we decided to film six music videos in one week!
Obsidian Dreams: For Obsidian Dreams, we used negative space to portray a sense of solitude and loneliness in a vast void, mirroring the emptiness that can torture one’s mind. Obsidian Dreams focuses on a lingering nostalgia; a memory or feeling from your past that you can’t ever let go of. During some of the most difficult times in my life, I would consistently look at my past and wish for those days again, rather than looking forward and heading in a better direction. Obsidian Dreams is a reflection of these dark times and serves as a reminder to not dwell on the past.
We filmed the performances for Bloom, Obsidian Dreams, and Paradise all in the same day, so it was a lot of work, constant set changing, and plenty of improvisation. Last minute, we had our wardrobe stylist, make up artist, and Cairn dress up as hospital staff. On top of this, we found Chetza, the dancer, literally the evening before we were going to film. She was absolutely amazing; we sat down together for about 15 minutes, talked about the song and what I was looking to get from her on camera, and she performed outstandingly. We were getting chills just watching her on camera. She’s a true force of talent. The energy while we filmed this video was amazing, and I think it translated well on camera. It was originally going to be released later, but life lined itself up so that it was our second release.
Paradise: Paradise was a tough song to put together. From the very beginning, I wanted to create a video that would evoke deep feelings in the viewer’s soul. I had no idea how people were going to receive such strong, controversial and triggering imagery, but I’m beyond relieved to see how much people have come together and collectively understood the positive intent behind the video.
Paradise was written, recorded, and filmed long before we lost legendary artists such as Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington, and their tragic deaths have given us a newfound sense of importance in spreading mental health awareness. I wanted to go about doing this by telling a story that I feel is all too common. The character I played in Paradise was a collection of stories and experiences that many of us collectively share. The song was inspired by a period in my life in which I felt as if I had hit rock bottom shortly after moving to Seattle, and the process of recovery through those times. Paradise is a song that reflects on depression, addiction, suicide and how many of us cope with these tormenting mental states.
Paradise was the first video we filmed out of the six we filmed in seven days. We spent a few arduous days exploring condemned house after condemned house across Washington State. We had a few run-ins with squatters, and one particularly unnerving moment surfing on the roof of a house that had slipped off the edge of a cliff. Eventually, we settled on a small, dilapidated house secluded in the mystical woods of Bremerton, WA. We originally had permission to film there, but almost had to cancel the shoot at the last minute due to some disgruntled neighbors. We filmed everything we needed in under four hours, picked up, and got the hell out. We eventually went back almost a year later to film a few additional shots. This was a stressful day for how oddly short it was.
We filmed in the middle of winter so it was freezing cold, but it definitely helped add to the mood of the video. We had a completely different concept for the bridge of the video that we ended up scrapping, but we ended up making a few funny videos behind the scenes with it that we might share with everyone soon enough just to help lighten up such a serious message. All in all, we’re extremely proud of this video and what we were able to achieve with such limited resources. I hope the video continues to grow and make a positive impact on the lives of people who may feel like they’re running out of options in their life. I once felt the same way, and now I feel like I’m living my best life. I want everyone to find that spark that ignites and inspires them to continue moving forward.
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