The Artist Explains: Bridesmen - 'Overwhelm'
Bridesmen talks to us about the ideas behind his beautiful expressionist dance visuals for, ‘Overwhelm’, a song about the battle we have with our emotions.
Where was the video for ‘Overwhelm’ filmed?
It was at Fais Do Do in Los Angeles CA. We filmed at the club after hours pretty late at night.
How does the video connect with the song?
The dancers represent the yin and yang of my emotions, one more protective, one more vulnerable. In the video, as they orbit each other, I am learning to let them in, and embrace the emotions I'm afraid of. There is no good/bad emotion, just my choice to deny or release them.
Do you have any behind the scenes stories you can share with us?
We only had a couple hours so we all had to stay focused on the vision. Originally, I had my glasses and a loose tan tank top on, but on camera, it just looked less vulnerable, so we decided I needed to match the dancers. It was pretty intimidating at first - they are so fit! - but we didn't have time for me to feel insecure about my body so we just moved on. I'm glad we did because I'm very proud of how it turned out.
Can you tell us about the ideas/ themes/ imagery used?
It's important for me to clarify that the dichotomy of emotions is not light vs. dark. Ray (male dancer) represents a shield for me, the defensive side I use to walk through day-to-day life. Stephanie is more of the wildcard, she represents my "softness," my anxiety, my shame - by acknowledging her, I am letting the light into the darkest corners of my mind. Both sides of me constantly dance around each other, each one pulling the other in, swirling about my consciousness. It's overwhelming, but when I try to tune them out, they all eventually bubble up in a super unhealthy way.
Is there a message the video is trying to convey?
Don't deny your emotions! Take care of your mental health. Whether that's seeing a psychotherapist, taking medicine for disorders - we need to address the roots of our disease. And reach out to other people - it's easy to feel like you're doing it alone, but you don't have to. The worst thing we can do is numb the pain away - because then it never gets released, and just sits there and festers, below the surface.
Interview feature by Karla Harris