A break-up, a roadtrip, cheesecake and ice cream, animated adventures, a dozen ways to hide, another breakup and another roadtrip, quality metal, and the alluring world of colourful drinks.
Jae’O “Will We Ever Be”
“Will We Ever Be” is Jae’O wondering if he’ll ever get back together with his ex-girlfriend after he cheated on her. He and the girlfriend are shown fighting a lot, and a few time he even grabs her. Much of the video is shot in Osborne Street in Newmarket, providing a hip setting for Jae’O’s street dancing and break-up reenactments. The video doesn’t do a lot to sell him as a nice boyfriend; the Jay’O of “Will We Ever Be” is man who is clearly in love with himself.
Director: Roko Babich
Jayson Norris “Window”
Jayson Norris has the playful “Window”. The video does the classic New Zealand road trip trope, following four very good looking people going to the beach in their classic car. Where’s Jayson? In a studio. They’re watching him perform on their iPhone. The two women in the car (sitting in the back) randomly change into colourful tops and put on makeup, only to arrive at Jayson’s gig in their old t-shirts.
Julia Deans “The Wish You Wish You Had”
After so many Fur Patrol videos that didn’t feature the band, it’s just nice to find that the artist is now present. The sly “The Wish You Wish You Had” video puts Julia Deans in different coloured settings, wearing matching clothes. She’s holding a cheesecake and and ice cream, posing with a dog (real) and a giraffe (toy), and she’s doing her best Elvis with her guitar. Everything about the video works. While Julia is presented in different looks, there’s still the sense that it’s Julia in all of them, a confident performer.
Director: Logan McMillan
Katchafire “On the Road Again”
In this funding round, there are two songs with similar titles: Katchafire’s “On the Road Again” and Kidz in Space’s “On the Road”. The Kidz are singing about a romantic road trip, while Katchafire is all about being a band touring the world. The video is animated, possibly due to the band being too busy on the aforementioned road to record a video. It features Katchafire being an in-demand roots reggae band, playing in such exotic locations as London, Hawaii, and LA, but vowing to always return to their hometown of Hamilton. It’s a good position for a band to be in, and why not have a little fun with it?
Kids of 88 “Sugarpills”
Things that Kids of 88 are hiding behind in the “Sugar Pills” video:
- Giant projection boards that surround the band like a box.
- An encirclement of dancers wearing bodysuits.
- Distant camera angles.
- John Lennon/Liam Gallagher sunglasses.
- Visual effects.
- Giant lady faces.
It’s frustrating because “Sugar Pills” is a tune. It goes from throwing in Bruce Forsyth’s Generation Game catchphrase to casual oral sex mentions. And yet the band are still being shy, creating a tension between the wild world of the song and the reserved performers making it.
Director: Jae Morrison
Kidz in Space “On the Road”
Despite the obviousness offered by the song, “On the Road” avoids the lazy idea of a road trip video. Instead much of the video is set in a bleak suburban house, where the members of Kidz in Space appear in person. Much of the video is dedicated to showing a young woman hurling pot plants at her ex boyfriend’s car, complete with broken windows. And that’s the thing — the tools of the road trip are broken. The car is smashed, the key is dropped. She runs off down the street, smiling, with more of a sense of freedom than any Kiwi road trip music video has managed before.
Director: Luke McPake
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision
Legacy of Disorder “Break”
Legacy of Disorder are a group of good quality metallers from Nelson and the live “Break” video captures just that. It’s shot live at the New Hub youth venue (since demolished) and shows the band rocking the teen crowd. According to Legacy of Disorder’s Facebook page, they’re currently without a vocalist which may have forced the band on a hiatus. But whatever their future, the band has this excellent record of them delivering their A-game.
Luger Boa “New Hot Nights”
I’m not entirely sure why, but I really enjoy this song, sounding like it ought to be the soundtrack for an opening montage of a movie. The video goes with the hipster fairytale of the lyrics, creating a sexy, alluring world of colourful drinks, with male and female body parts feeling the tension and drama of the song. The song is so strong and so catchy that the video thankfully doesn’t try to outshine it. The vid just provides an enjoyable and decorative backdrop.
Director: Adam Jones