The Artist Explains: CHAR - 'Same Again'
London-based singer songwriter CHAR and director Jade Nodinot talk to us about the music video for ‘Same Again’, which brings together a female-led creative team and visually and sonically explores the theme of cyclic behaviour.
Where was the video for ‘Same Again’ filmed?
CHAR: We shot the video at FHive studio in Hackney, London. The studio we used had the industrial look we were looking for. In addition, it had an infinity box which allowed us to create multiple spaces without changing location.
How does the video connect with the song?
CHAR: The video connects with the song through it’s message of cyclic behaviour. The overplaying and repetitive nature with the song lyrics themselves as well as the shots in the video.
Do you have any behind the scenes stories you can share with us?
CHAR: When I started planning my first music video, I had the idea of bringing together a female-led creative team! I utilised the creative app Daisie that I am 1 of the Daisie100’s for and connected with two female creatives, Jade and Allie. We built the team from there, reaching out to other women who also had skills they wanted to bring in. There are so many talented people out there who need the opportunity to work on a project and share their skills so this was a way we could all do that.
Could you tell us about the ideas/ themes/ imagery used?
CHAR: "The idea of the video was to illustrate repetitive behaviour. Reproducing the same pattern over and over without being able to break the cycle. ‘Same Again’ sees me looking introspectively at “the cyclic repetitive behavior we often find ourselves trapped in, not considering the effects of doing the same thing again and again, and expecting a different result – whether it’s going back to that one person time and time again, or repeating the same night out over and over again. In the video, we follow getting ready for a night out in an abstract room within an industrial space. The cold atmosphere of the warehouse contrast with the warmth of the 'room' as a symbol for the harshness of the outside world.
Director (Jade): “I've always been inspired by the surrealism and collages, playing with superposition’s, overlaying the same frame to tell something else; which in this instance worked perfectly with the theme of the song”.
Is there a message the video is trying to convey?
CHAR: "Both the track and video is meant to be a bit of hard nudge for me, but there’s also a self-soothing aspect to the track, where I’m saying ‘let’s not beat ourselves up too much’, because life is already tricky enough to navigate through as it is. I really hope people can feel equally as empowered yet soothed. To remember we’re all human.
Interview by Karla Harris