The Artist Explains: Dyllan - 'One of Us'

Los Angeles-born vocalist and producer DYLLAN (Dylan Nichols) talks to us about her beguiling indie pop single and music video, ‘One of Us,’ which explores the themes of being entangled in an incompatible relationship and the importance of always staying true to yourself.

Where was the video for ‘One of Us’ filmed?
We filmed it all at an old warehouse in DTLA in about 8 hours.

How does the video connect with the song?
’One of Us’ is a song about trying to change fundamentally who you are to make a relationship work, and how you can lose yourself that way. In the video I’m trying on a few different “looks,” because I’m trying to fit into the image of what my partner wants. At first I have a male-gazey, sexy/ innocent style, then I try out being the sporty “cool” girl, then a more high fashion vibe, and finally settle on my own zany animal-print self. Shoutout to Sol Ange for styling me, Delia Purga for being so creative with makeup and my photographer Julia Torchine for bringing the sparkly “straightjacket” at the last minute.

Do you have any behind the scenes stories you can share with us?
I have to say, the day went more smoothly than I could have imagined. I dance a lot in the video which is something I’ve never done in front of a camera before, but both my directors, (Shawn Binder and Joe DeSantis) were really great at giving me notes without making me feel self conscious. I will say it was crazy hot that day in a warehouse with no AC… so it was pretty hard to move in all that leather!

Could you tell us about the ideas/ themes/ imagery used?
There is a vine wrapped around me and my leading man in the video (portrayed by Trapper Piatt!), and that’s signifying that I’m entangled in the relationship and need to break free. I think there’s a little nod to Adam and Eve as well. His character is really only in two shots and disappears as soon as I snip the vine with a pair of scissors. Joe did an amazing job in how he shot and edited the whole thing - he used glitching affects and distorted angles to represent how my sense of self is fractured.

Is there a message the video is trying to convey?
The video is a visual representation of my dream (or nightmare), and there isn’t necessarily a happy ending. I think the truth of the matter is that relationships are hard, but the worst thing you can do is not be yourself.

Interview by Karla Harris