The Artist Explains: Doctrin - 'Show You The Way'
Dolly Denko of one woman band Doctrin talks to us about Tarantino influences, mouse attacks in the night, religious imagery in her music and self producing/ filming her music video for 'Show You The Way' in Joshua Tree.
Born in Australia and currently based in LA, Dolly Denko is the lead singer, guitarist and programmer for her project Doctrin. New single 'Show You The Way' is a dirty dose of desert influenced alternative rock, co-produced with Brian Virtue (Deftones, 30 Seconds to Mars, Hawthorne Heights).
Doctrin Explains
Where was the video for 'Show You The Way' filmed?
We filmed out in Joshua Tree Desert in California. This sweet lady with the perfect place on Air BnB allowed us to shoot there and she was super chill. It was a three day shoot because we actually filmed 2 music videos over the weekend, the second one is the ‘sequel’ and will be out in 2018
How does the video connect with the song?
To me the video is what came to mind when I was writing the song. I usually have a pretty good idea for a video treatment early on and this one I saw the desert pretty clearly in my mind. The story relates lyrically because it’s representing that flip on a stereotype that a priest might try to “show you the way” but we were showing him the way in this one. It follows a religious theme lyrically and visually and I think the production of the music sonically matches with the desert well. When I drive out and see those wind farms, this song just feels like the desert to me and I love that, Joshua Tree is a special place.
Any behind the scenes stories?
Not while we were actually shooting, everything went pretty well but while we were a sleep in the house; someone was woken up by a creature biting on their shoulder and threw it across the room only to land on someone else and scare the hell out of everyone! We all woke up and everyone was freaking out, turned out it was just a mouse.
Could you tell us about the ideas/ themes/ imagery used?
I very quickly saw the story for this one being set in a church in the desert. Lyrically speaking, lines such as "I’ll beg forgiveness, maybe on Sunday” just gave me that vibe so walking into a church was the first scene that came to mind and everything else just connected from that point. I was writing the story coming up with ideas of what I could do to this priest to torture him. Forcing him to watch burlesque, making him drink, dragging him behind the car, tattooing him etc. all the things priests aren’t expected to do so It’s a little bit of satire. I love Tarantino’s films so I was quite inspired by colors and female characters ruling over males ones as well as location.
What do you hope people take away from watching the video?
There’s definitely a deeper meaning to everything for me and I feel I’m expressing my beliefs for the people that care to look deeper, but on thesurface I just wanted people to have a good time and perhaps have a laugh. I’ve not done many video's with comedy or with a lighter tone so I wanted to try that on for a change. I am used to dark and serious so it was fun to smile and mess around with this story and it was fun on set doing the scenes. It’s still over dramatised but I hope people see it as a bit of fun!
Interview Feature by Karla Harris