The Artist Explains: Hero Fisher - 'If I Die and Nothing Happens'
London-based artist Hero Fisher talks to us about her curious and creative visuals for ‘If I Die and Nothing Happens’.
’If I Die and Nothing Happens’ reveals itself through a frenzy of moods, pairing stuttering brooding beats and visceral bursts of electro with the emotive heart of a huge, stylish indie rock song. However, Hero Fisher’s vocal steals the show; in both its dark, ethereal and raw form and its startling, expansive beauty, seeing Hero Fisher confidently fashioning her own brand of oddball pop.
Hero Fisher Explains:
Where was the video for 'If I Die And Nothing Happens' filmed?
It was filmed at Heath Street Baptist Church in North London. We initially recorded some live performances there and liked the space so much we thought we’d make a video there.
How does the video connect with the song?
As most of my videos do, the idea for the video is often very different from the result! I like to take a loose approach to the videos and let them happen organically. I thought that the church and it’s obvious religious connotations lent itself nicely to the song as it nods to the question of life after death.
Are there any behind the scenes stories you could let us in on?
My manager Sarah played Rupauls’ ‘Supermodel (You Better Work)’ full blast and on repeat for most of the shoot… I now know that song inside out and we may have a choreography to go with it.
And popping the 100 balloons with kitchen knives was well worth the effort of blowing them up.
Can you tell us about the ideas/ themes/ imagery used?
The title ‘If I Die And Nothing Happens’ tongue in cheek. The song is about letting loose and enjoying the life you have while it lasts. When writing it, I was imaging what it might be like to live through a volcanic winter, when volcanic ash obscures the sun, leaving life in darkness. The idea originated from imagining the world without light, It’s a prayer for light, a prayer for salvation. So we played with light and darkness a lot in the video, using strobes and distorted shadows, and masks to obscure what we could see, but to also hide our facial expressions behind them. The theme of the song feels a little tragic and theatrical, but also exaggerated and comical, not to be taken too seriously.
What do you hope viewers take away from watching the video?
I would hope that viewers feel more playful and lighthearted, maybe more excited or inspired by the weird and wonderful out in the world. But honestly I like to think everyone notices details of a song or video as they want to, in their own way. It’s open to interpretation.
Interview Feature by Karla Harris