The Band Explains: lotusbliss - 'Carpet'
lotusbliss talk to us about the concept behind their gripping single and music video, ‘Carpet’, which explores the themes of heartache and the healing power of solidarity.
How did you decide on the video treatment/visual for the “Carpet’ music video?
The track itself is moody and on the back-foot despite having a high-energy feel, so we felt it was perfect for a night time video with a little action. We’re from Kent, and the countryside around where we grew up is beautiful but when you catch it in the right light, especially in wintertime, it feels really gloomy and the forests a little eerie - we had wanted to capture that for a music video at some point and Carpet felt perfect for it. We were actually very lucky to happen upon epic sunset skies when we came to film, and that really adds a lot of depth to some of the scenes.
How does the video connect with the song?
‘Carpet’ is a story of heartbreak and relationship trauma. In giving yourself to a relationship you allow your feelings and emotions to become intertwined with your partners, and you hope that in turn they also do the same. The hardest part, though, is when they start untangling those bonds that you’re still trying to build - it can feel like you’re held hostage to their whims and emotions. We wanted to tell a story through the music video that didn’t just show a literal heartbreak situation but instead played out as a tangental narrative encapsulating some of those emotions (albeit in a slightly exaggerated fashion!)
Do you have any unforeseen behind the scenes/making-of stories you can share?
We were trying to shoot this quickly and on a tiny budget (/ a budget of £0) so we asked Seth’s girlfriend and our sister to operate the cameras, even though they didn’t really have any experience doing that. Josh set up the shots, walked into frame with Adam and Seth and then we hit record! Also in some of the roughing-up scenes there were a large number of ‘fake’ punches and stick hits that coincidentally managed to connect - it felt like a cathartic process for Seth and Adam but less so for Josh who was on the receiving end.
Could you tell us more about the ideas/themes used?
The final scene ends in a classic cliff-hanger - does the protagonist escape or was the whole exercise of struggle and escape in vain? We love letting the viewer/listener read their own experiences into something we make, with their imagination finishing the story in their own minds. That connects back to the theme of the heartbreak - sometimes things can work out for the better (in the real-life story this song is based off they did) but of course that’s not always the case. The only way to know is to walk that journey.
What do you hope people take away from watching the video?
There is something really healing in the power of solidarity - so for people who are experiencing heartbreak in some form we’d love them to see the video, listen to the lyrics and think “I’m not the only one who feels like this”. The next stage in that process is dialogue, so hopefully that feeling of solidarity gives them the strength and confidence to start sharing about how they feel.
Interview by Karla Harris