The Band Explains: Strange Pilgrim - 'Salt and Seagulls'

California-based artist Joshua Barnhart of Strange Pilgrim speaks to us about using family vacation footage from the 1970s to accompany his nostalgic, indie rock single, ‘Salt and Seagulls’.

Where was the footage for 'Salt & Seagulls' filmed?
The footage we used is from a trip my parents took around 1974 to Arizona to visit my mom's mother and little brothers. My parents were in their early twenties and not yet married. Now they are long-since divorced and still good friends.

How does it connect with the song?
I think the footage fits with the lyrical and sonic elements of the song and works to conjure similar feelings of nostalgia or looking back on an idealized version of the past. The murkiness of the film seems to mirror my own hazy memory when I think back to when my parents were still together.

Do you have any behind the scenes stories you can share with us?
These are family videos my mom recently found and digitised. I don't think there's anything especially significant other than the slice of life nature of the footage - playing at the creek, my dad digging out an area for composting, my grandma, who died about 16 years ago, smiling. The camera they used was a gift from Walt Disney's brother, Roy, to my dad's father, who was a Disney artist for many years. This doesn't really mean anything for the film itself, I just think it's an interesting side note.

Could you tell us about the ideas/ themes/ imagery used?
When I first saw this footage, I knew I wanted to use it for a music video. I'm not sure what it was, but I was instantly struck by the desert landscapes and nostalgia of seeing my family members so young and seemingly carefree, which of course is singular to my family, but hopefully comes across to others as well.
My good friend, Jimmy Lillard, who did the editing for the video had this to say: "I love the footage. It was a breeze to edit and play with. And so cool that it’s personal and intimate yet dreamy. Total memory trip inception. By the end of it, you feel like you somehow were there."

Is there a message the video is trying to convey?
I don't know about any particular message, but I hope it can invoke a similar feeling that Jimmy expressed, that you feel connected to it and 'feel like you somehow were there.'

Interview by Karla Harris