The Band Explains: Carry Illinois - 'Scattered'

LGBTQ+  indie pop band Carry Illinois speak openly with us about the imaginative visuals for deeply moving single, 'Scattered' taken from their recently released EP, 'Work In Progress'.
'Scattered' sees Lizzy Lehman's solemn vocal and aching lyrical theme cut through the atmospheric haze and weight of the song's brooding bones, to be met by infectious glimmers of hope in its arrangements; bringing with it a defiant sense of perseverance, resilience and acceptance in the face of the track's heavier undertones. 

 Frontwoman Lizzy Lehman Explains:

Where was the video for 'Scattered' filmed?
The video was filmed at my house in Austin, TX.

How does the video connect with the song? 
They are both about how I imagine myself to be physically imperfect, broken, unideal, and emotionally irreparable (represented by the fake world in which I am placed in the video), but ultimately returning to embrace my actual self towards the end. They both represent the human ability to grow, accept our perceived “flaws”, and work towards self-love.

Any behind the scenes stories?
We had a lot of fun using DIY tactics to film the video. I really enjoyed the silliness of pretending to fly, by laying down on a green screen with a fan in my face. We laughed a lot while filming the part where I dive after a falling glass, too--mostly because we had to do it so many times to get it just right. I think my wife actually had the most fun on set, because she got to act as my stand-in a couple times and literally step into my shoes in a felt "me" suit. 

Could you tell us about the ideas/ themes/ imagery used?
The crafted body suit, floating body parts, "me" doll (all created by the amazing Akki Brathwaite), and my attempt to put my body parts together in the "correct" fashion according to an instructional guide all represent my struggle with feeling the need to fit the societal expectation of beauty, and learning to love one's self. 

The imagery of the glass shattering into multiple whole glasses and myself breaking into whole selves show the fragility of the human spirit in terms of brokenness.  Even though we may feel broken and like we have completely fallen apart, we have not come apart, we are still whole while attempting the arduous task of repairing the emotional scars we have developed throughout our lives. 

Starfish show up in the video multiple times, letting us know that we are resilient beings who have the wondrous ability to regain what we have lost, grow stronger, and heal in order to keep on surviving.  Going from an imaginary world back to Earth at the end of "Scattered," one can see how we can get lost in our thoughts and dreams, and that coming back to Earth, although frightening at times, keeps us firmly planted and connected to our true selves.

Is there a message the video is trying to convey? 
The main message of the video is that we are all human, unique, beautiful, and connected, despite life's challenges making us feel we are less than.  My hope is that people watch the video and realize that it is ok to not be ok and that becoming our best selves is a process that takes time, self-compassion, and commitment. It is ok to feel hurt and slowly let the love in one day at a time. 

Interview Feature by Karla Harris