The Artist Explains - Georgi Kay - 'Scary People'
LA-based electronic artist Georgi Kay speaks to us about her dark and demonic visuals for new single, 'Scary People'.
Through its use of dark electronic textures, fuggy bass, ethereal synth and Georgi Kay's alluring vocal, 'Scary People' is a smoky and stuttering assault on the senses, addressing the presence of both political and personal demons.
Georgi Kay Explains
Where was the video for 'Scary People' filmed?
We filmed in a huge warehouse in Los Angeles, a little south of Downtown.
Apparently Lana Del Rey and The Weeknd shot their recent collaboration there, so that’s cool. It was a very magical space.
How does the video compliment the song?
The song itself has a slightly dark, moody groove to it – yet it’s still engaging, catchy and upbeat in its overall message of bravery and holding our own against the darkness.
The video brings visual life to the soundscape, complimenting the lyrics and adding more to the symbolic themes of fighting against both political/global issues and our own inner demons.
Also, much like the song the video is a bit weird and ambiguous.
Which is how I believe art should be.
At the end of the day it’s not really about the content of the art.
It’s about the conversation sparked between people after they are exposed to it – it’s about rekindling that moment of genuine human connection.
Any behind the scenes stories?
'Scary People' was shot in 4 hours 30 mins, by a team of just 4 people.
A standard video shoot can go for at least 8 hours, and generally consists of a crew of 10 – 12 people. There are a lot of on-site jobs to do: directing, lighting, make-up/wardrobe, assistant directing, director of photography, art department (props, shot set-ups), someone to playback the music…and that’s not including the artist or any additional characters in the video.
So it was just my demon (played by my lovely housemate), my director/videographer, her dad and myself. We were constantly on the go, eating sushi in-between takes, looking up at the clock and taking on multiple jobs at once.
It was crazy! And a lot of fun.
Could you tell us about the ideas/ themes/ imagery used?
'Scary People' is both a political and personal song.
The main themes and ideas I hint to are political and global issues (both symbolized ambiguously by the demon character and more literally in the reoccurring shots of riots, static and explosions), along with themes of battling and facing our own inner demons that we struggle with (symbolized in the macabre yet endearing scenes where my demon and I interact with each other).
What is the message the video is trying to convey?
As a piece, the message of the video is simply saying “you are not alone”.
We all carry our own demons around with us; that’s just part of life – the balance of light and dark.
It’s ok to carry them, and it’s better to be aware of them and to face them, knowing they are a part of you. Just as it’s better to be aware of the horrifying things that take place in our world today, both on a political and global scale. The knowledge and awareness of these scary events sit in the back of our minds, alongside our own demons, and it builds on our fears – so it is important to know that we all feel that weight in our own way.
But most importantly knowing that we can face those fears, and that in order to keep the love alive we must fight that fire with fire, because it’s all that we’ve got.
Interview Feature by Karla Harris