The Band Explains: Rooney - 'Why' (feat. Soko) (Video)
'Why' is the second single from Rooney's upcoming new album 'Washed Away', which is out July 29th through Superball Music and sees Soko, now an LA resident, pair up with her friend Robert Schwartzman, (Rooney mastermind and lead singer), to add her blissful vocals to the track bringing a new dynamic to Rooney’s spirited sound.
Rooney's Robert Schwartzman, Explains:
"We shot the ROONEY video for 'Why' at two locations: Venice Beach CA, and in Hollywood, CA. This song is a duet joined by the French born musician Soko. It’s a breakup song, catching that moment when a couple realizes it might be over between them. They accept it, might even be relieved or happy about this. I think it honestly speaks to that moment when people grow apart and accept that the love they felt is different now, and “my heart is running dry.” So this video captures a fun, loving moment between a couple, as they explore a new town together, the adventure of discovery, playing around together etc.. And then we transition into a more dreamy, chaotic scene with the couple expressing their emotions through a performance, with various projections of shapes, colors, and images that make us feel like we can be anywhere. We are now detached from reality, floating through a parallel universe, as the music performance elements grab hold of the subjects. A way of expressing the inner turmoil that we feel when we lose someone, when we grieve the loss of love, and how to make sense of our emotions when we reach the end of a relationship.
I think the beauty of a music video is that it can enhance the listening experience, it can add a visual, and tell a story alongside the song. Because the song itself is a story and is visual, so the video adds another layer for the viewer experiencing the song. And it’s approved by the musician who performs/wrote/recorded the song, it’s part of the artist’s message. I got to direct this music video for “Why” so this is truly an extension of the song and the story I wanted to tell. Soko is a colorful person, very spontaneous and energetic, so I wanted to take her to Venice Beach as the sun was setting and capture this energy. I love when anything can happen and you can’t predict it, you just sacrifice yourself to the moment and let it happen. It’s like the feeling of a live concert. Shooting this music together, Soko and I got to take a chance together, without knowing what we’d get in the end, and allow the moment to unfold and show the light ahead. Venice Beach is one of the locations in Los Angeles that I think has a real visual identity. It seemed like the best location for the story. After Venice, we went back to my house in Hollywood, setup a projector and screen in my backyard, and projected images that I thought would look exciting and confusing blown up. We also had a fog machine to add to the dream-like setting. There’s a duality to this song and in the video, the two locations. I think it echoes what we experience in love, in relationships, and in ourselves.
During the day, we shot a music video for a song called “It’s You” that I wrote for the film “Palo Alto.” We went right after that shoot to Venice Beach to shoot the “Why” music video. Soko met me there, dressed and ready to go, and we started filming while we still had light. I have footage of Soko playing basketball, but that didn’t make the edit! All in all, I appreciate Soko’s willingness to play along with me, to have joined this song, and to have been open-minded on the video shoot. I think spontaneity is important for the creative process. I’m happy we got to embrace the moment on this music video shoot.
Hope you enjoy!"
Feature by Karla Harris