Three-part drama, a blurry life, chips, dips, chains, whips, down at the end of the runway, exploring the Volcanic Plateau, extreme poptimism.
Deach featuring Kayla “Tears”
So! Much! Drama! I love it! Both the song and the video of “Tears” tell the story of a young woman who discovers that her boyfriend has been cheating on her, told from the perspective of herself, her bestie and her boyfriend. With each verse, more is revealed about the situation, and the realisation that all is not what it seems. The video goes for a literal depiction of the lyrics, but adds a twist at the end: the boyfriend didn’t leave the nightclub with another woman: he was just taking her to the toilet as she needed to have a spew. What a gentleman.
Director: Anthony Plant
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision
Dear Time’s Waste “These Words Stick Me To You”
https://youtu.be/ZsD3dxiiVn8
Dear Time Waste’s bio at Amplifier claims that the band “paints an aural picture of soft water colour with a grey wash of light that is – according to one listener – ‘akin to a morning orgasm’.” But really, they’re just one of those bands who have a few Smiths albums in their CD collection. “These Words Stick Me To You” is a pleasant song but the video feels like it’s on the point of dissolving into nothingness. It has a washed-out, hazy look, as if it’s too chilled out to be an in-your-face music video. Even the lead singer’s appearance in the video is behind a blurry filter, like she’s sitting behind an inch of Vaseline on the lens.
Director: Selina Ershadi
Gareth Thomas “Get Along Better”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6qQTxOtVaQ
“Get Along Better” puts Gareth Thomas in a modern apartment with his sweetie who engages in some comedic S&M practises, much to his surprise. The video implies that their relationship is troubled and her actions might be an outright attack on him. But then there she is in a seductive corset, dripping candlewax on him. Whatever the motivation, neither of them really seem to be into it. No one is getting off.
Director: Anthony Plant
Hollie Smith and Mara TK “Lives for Living”
The “Lives For Living” video puts Hollie Smith on a windswept beach, which looks somewhere on Wellington’s south coast. This alternates with stop-motion footage of Mara TK posing atop the giant concrete bollards at the southern end of the runway extension at Wellington Airport. It’s a Wellington setting without being so Wellington. Like the song, the video is a nice feel to it, adding a feeling of urban cool to what could otherwise be a bleak, grey landscape.
Director: Hana Miller, Jacob Perkins
K.One featuring Jason Kerrison “Walking Away”
Sometimes it’s surprising to discover how trend-based New Zealand music can be. There’s maybe a temptation to think that the tunes are coming from a pure and original place (because New Zealand), but then along comes a track like this that aches with how 2010 it is. K.One has teamed up with J.Kerrison, but he’s not there for Opstop-style stadium rock. “Walking Away” has that big electronic sound that was all over 2010, with Jason’s voice given a slight autotuned robo quality. The video turns its back on the digital sounds, putting K.One and Jason outdoors, mostly exploring the volcanic plateau. So while the song has generic international sound of its era, the video is about as New Zealand as it gets.
Director: Anthony Plant
Kingston “The Lotto”
This song sounds like it was used in an ad, but I don’t think it actually was. I think it’s just the Kingston sound. “The Lotto” is a bright pop song, with an infectious shout-along chorus. The video is slick, contrasting the band rocking out in a studio with cool, attractive young people being cool and attractive and enjoying life. It seems like it should have been a huge hit, and yet it wasn’t. “The Lotto” was Kingston’s last NZ On Air funded video. Lead singer Dan moved to Brooklyn with his brother, Dave From Elemeno P, and formed the indie folk group Streets of Laredo.
Director: James Blick
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision