The Band Explains: Lavoy - 'Smile' (Video)
Tyrell L. Tompkins of Spokane, Washington-based alternative pop five-piece Lavoy cheers us up by talking us through the ideas behind, 'Smile' single and video.
'Smile' is a sunny feel-good synth pop number taken from the band's forthcoming three-song EP produced by Casey Bates ( INXS, Tonight Alive, Pierce The Veil) which will be released later this year.
The Band Explains:
The video was filmed in Downtown Spokane, WA at Riverfront Park. The Lilac City has done a lot over the years to get the park up to snuff and make it a place where friends want to gather and have a good time and sort of defy the norm of rundown city parks. I think they did a great job and we feel good about the video being shot here.
How does the video compliment the song?
The video compliments the song in a way that I wouldn’t have originally suspected. It’s a song written out of the expectation of coming home and sort of connecting with the ones you love so as it turns out, showing the song to our friends for the first time and seeing their faces light up as they begin to move, perfectly authors a feeling of joy and leisure at the same time and makes you feel at home. I didn’t think that would have been prevalent at the start, but I love how it does that.
Any behind the scenes stories?
One of the behind the scenes stories is that one of our good friends who we specifically asked to be in the video ended up having some intense business calls while on location during filming and wasn’t able to actually be in the video, but he ends up appearing in the background of one of the scenes talking on his phone. I thought it was great that he ended up in the video after all even by accident. Definitely take another look at the video and see it you can spot him for fun.
Tell us about the ideas/ themes/ imagery used?
The idea presented to us from the get go was simple, make everyone listen to the song for the first time and just have them move their bodies. NO professional dancing… more like excitement. I think the idea was something that appealed to us because it’s something that’s really needed right now with all of the depressing things going on in the world. The imagery of whatever “happy” is to you was captured in attempt and we feel like it worked. What could the theme have been other than seeing someone’s natural smiling faces at the first sounds of that song? I don’t feel like it could have been captured any better.
What is the message the video is trying to convey?
The message behind the video is as straight -forward as it comes, yet it seems like the hardest lesson. It’s a message of hope and it’s something this world is missing. Hope isn’t something you have only when things are good, it’s what you hold onto when things are difficult. It’s a song to remind you of hope revealed by nothing more than a smile and we hope you like it.
Interview feature by Karla Harris
Tell us about the ideas/ themes/ imagery used?
The idea presented to us from the get go was simple, make everyone listen to the song for the first time and just have them move their bodies. NO professional dancing… more like excitement. I think the idea was something that appealed to us because it’s something that’s really needed right now with all of the depressing things going on in the world. The imagery of whatever “happy” is to you was captured in attempt and we feel like it worked. What could the theme have been other than seeing someone’s natural smiling faces at the first sounds of that song? I don’t feel like it could have been captured any better.
What is the message the video is trying to convey?
The message behind the video is as straight -forward as it comes, yet it seems like the hardest lesson. It’s a message of hope and it’s something this world is missing. Hope isn’t something you have only when things are good, it’s what you hold onto when things are difficult. It’s a song to remind you of hope revealed by nothing more than a smile and we hope you like it.
Interview feature by Karla Harris