The Band Explains: ETCHES - 'Love Is' (Video)
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| Photo credit: Andrew Ellis |
Liverpool quintet ETCHES speak to us about the ideas behind the video for new single 'Love Is'.
About The Track: With nods to the likes of Interpol, Torches and Tears For Fears, ETCHES immediately accessible, and yet never predictable ‘Love Is’ is available now to purchase on iTunes and Spotify.
The Onion Cafe, Aigburth, Liverpool
How does the video compliment the song?
The verses are essentially a selection of audacious chat up lines from a Casanova who is really laying it on thick. I wanted to have subtitles independent of the exchange onscreen, depicting a much more cynical, overwrought conversation drawing on meta, over the top interpretations of language to reinforce the interpersonal games implied in the song.
Not really, just got a bit drunk and ate quiche courtesy of our boss chef bassist. We argued a bit about fonts afterwards. The only one that comes to mind is the e-cig – Michael (our actor) brought that with him; it wasn’t part of the original script. It was his idea to use it in the shoot, and to blow it towards the camera as it panned back to him. We were so excited with the result – it looked incredible. Unfortunately as the whole thing is one shot, the poor guy had to shoot the whole video, puffing away, for about four hours so we were sure we had ‘the one’. He was sounding rather croaky at the end.
Tell us about the ideas/ themes/ imagery used?
The concept is in the subtitles – everything else is just what we threw together on the day to make it look nice, and to soften the blow of us appearing in our own videos. Visually, everything was significantly reined in as resources dwindled and deadlines approached. The first draft was kinda bonkers with insects and Crowley references that made it hard to pin down a film crew.
What is the message the video is trying to convey
The first verse alludes to a character so stricken with rigid paradigms and attachments to words that their personal interactions are imprisoned by it, pointing the finger at our dubiously analytical western minds. The second verse contains quotes from American artist Jacob Bakkila, and his hilarious albeit niche “horse ebooks” twitter page. I liked the idea of Michael Fletcher (our improv scouse angry man) physically acting out antagonism whilst the other character responds with these stupid, almost self help/business seminar like phrases. A play on popular self-help culture, or even conventional wisdom in the sense that one can become so diluted with slogans that incapacitate sincere behaviour.
The concept is in the subtitles – everything else is just what we threw together on the day to make it look nice, and to soften the blow of us appearing in our own videos. Visually, everything was significantly reined in as resources dwindled and deadlines approached. The first draft was kinda bonkers with insects and Crowley references that made it hard to pin down a film crew.
What is the message the video is trying to convey
The first verse alludes to a character so stricken with rigid paradigms and attachments to words that their personal interactions are imprisoned by it, pointing the finger at our dubiously analytical western minds. The second verse contains quotes from American artist Jacob Bakkila, and his hilarious albeit niche “horse ebooks” twitter page. I liked the idea of Michael Fletcher (our improv scouse angry man) physically acting out antagonism whilst the other character responds with these stupid, almost self help/business seminar like phrases. A play on popular self-help culture, or even conventional wisdom in the sense that one can become so diluted with slogans that incapacitate sincere behaviour.
Interview feature by Karla Harris