The Artist Explains: Officer - 'Can We Talk?' (Video)
Who: Officer is the project of London-based musician, DC Logan who is often supported by different combinations of musicians and friends.
About The Track: 'Can We Talk?' is taken from Officer's debut album, 'Myriads'.
'Can We Talk?' presents with a realness and sincerity where Officer's warm, raw, vocals and empathetic arrangements leak a soothing antidote that seeps into broken souls and tries to hush that throbbing ache.
Officer Explains:
Who produced the video?
I just produced it myself and brought in Duncan Howsley of Lab Exposure to work on it with me and help co-direct it to get what I wanted out of it.
How does the video compliment the song?
The song speaks of the ‘loss of home’, homelessness in both the very real and practical sense, but also the emotional, mental and spiritual sense. It draws on some memories in the lyrical content of the song and that I share in common with some of the homeless people I’ve met through my work.
Any behind the scenes stories?
How much of a mad dash it all was. We only had a few hours to do it before everyone had their separate things to get to. I had just come off a 13 hour coach journey to Glasgow and my head was spinning. At one point we all went into a filling station for an energy drink and came out with cans of ‘Pussy’, which we all found oddly amusing. At another point I was darting round central Glasgow trying to get a photo printed from my phone that features in a key part of the timeline of the video, whilst Duncan and Gianni shot in Buchanan Street. While I was waiting for the picture print one of my fans got in touch on Twitter and said "I notice you’re in Glasgow today, I’ve just finished the half marathon for a cancer charity." Turned out he was two streets away, so I was able to go do a selfie with him and donate a little charity prize of a signed album. The guy who lent us his flat for one of the scenes was so helpful and sweet and just went out while we shot and about half an hour after he left, one of his mates turned up pissed out of his brain wondering who the hell we were…yeah, was a mad fun few hours.
Tell us about the ideas/ themes/ imagery used?
Like I said it explores loss of home and homelessness and some of the very ordinary ways that such a spiral can take grip in your life. It digs into that very real truth that it could happen to any of us, that it kind of is happening to all of us in maybe less tangible ways. There are themes of memories, love and loss, financial pressure in the current climate, relationship and family breakdown, the beginnings of reliance on alcohol and the entering of addiction into a very ordinary life, due to loss of identity and direction.
What is the message the video is trying to convey?
It’s not so much trying to convey a message as tell a story that is real, a story that is happening to so many and to all in some ways. I guess if there was a message it would just be a kind of cry for authentic communication. It’s a plea - ‘Can We Talk? - can we reconcile, can we recognise we can be in this together and can connect and include rather than marginalise.
Interview feature by Karla Harris