6 September 2011

Kent video shoot and the madness of the music industry .
A few weeks ago we shot a super lo-fi vid, as a preview for our upcoming single 'Standing Still', for the NME online.
We did it in a hurry, as a fun little thing, shot it on my tiny 3mgpix camera, and I confess, was pretty darn pleased w/ the result.
But, as it was shot in small rez, by the time it got uploaded, and published twice as large, it did look a little too low-rez and fuzzy for viewing consumption.
Long story short: a fan decided to donate some cash towards a better video - craze, isn't it? to think that someone out there cares as much as we do, still rattles my heart.
So, last 2/3 weeks we hooked up w/ a few would-be video makers, met production companies - but things started to turn ridiculous pretty fast, in a way that they can in the musicbiz - like: they wanted an 'americana feel', ok, we like the sound of that - but then they mentioned 'old Chevy's' 'neon lights' and the dreaded 'american diner' - hold your horses right there - that doesn't sound good at all - our 'americana' is slightly more subtle than a bloody pair of cowboys boots (hate'em, by the way).
When I heard them discussing what I was gonna wear, probably something long and floaty, that was it - I had one of those 'inner voice' moments, when a big bunch of people around you are telling ya: 'yeah, its gonna be great', but little voice inside shouts: 'no, no, it's not gonna be bloody great. get out, isabel, get outta of here and take your beloved little band away from all this silliness'. and so we did.
I'm keen on collaborations, really am, but you gotta hit me with a great idea - doesn't have to be big or expensive, indeed, some of the best/coolest and most engaging videos have very little to do with size of production, it's all about a strong 'idea'.
Nothing worse, in my book, then to spend the graciously donated cash and end up with yet another run-of-the-mill, generic, meaningless video.
So, we've decided instead to just go to the seaside and do some shooting ourselves. No mega ambition here, just wanna end up with some nice footage, a record of this Anatomy moment, and do something simpler, but meaningful to us.
At this stage of our mini-mouse-career, we're really not trying to achieve anything, hit the bright lights, nothing like that; in fact, that the record is out there at all is the achievement - all I hope is that we stick to our small guns and just keep doing music we wanna listen to, and film stuff we don't mind looking at ourselves.
that's all, really.
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Found pretty cool'n'cheap beach-pod on the Kent coast, and we're gonna be close-hauled up there for a few days - taking a decent HD camera along, a bottle of Tequila and a variety of ponchos.
we got our video masterplan.
.
ps1 - that miss m is taking sunglasses to grey Kent coast, is proof of enduring optmism:
.
. ps2 - this is where we're heading: . ps3 - le beach-pod: . ps4 - and here's the lo-fi homemade preview we did for Standing Still:
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6 comments:

Lex said...

Ah, I know very well this little inner-voice thing and lately I'm trying to learn to listen to it more... I think we still have a good part of instinct inside of us but most of the time we just ignore it, which is a shame because it could help us avoid some trouble.

When everyone start telling you what to do and it gets too much out of the initial path, it's easy to get lost, to lose the true spirit of the thing if I can say.

The most important is to keep this very special Drugstore feel, dear too us, this Drugstore soul... :)
I think the video making at the beach's gonna be a very cool experience! Have fun ! x

Anonymous said...

hi isabel. Just wanted to thank you for the music over the years. new album was worth the wait. you have no idea how much your music means. saw you play live at charlotte many moons ago and it was a magical night. best wishes. B.

Anonymous said...

I just downloaded 2 new songs (tracks 2&3) from Amazon. I love your sound. I was just looking for new songs and I always loved your cover of Old Shoes. I was surprised to see the new CD. I got to say this is the best stuff I've heard this year. I just get so tired of pop music and mediocre "indie" bands. I love that lo-fi sound of the songs. Thanks for great music! Brian

isabel monteiro said...

hey guys -
- videos: got tons of footage, still sifting through, think we gonna end up w/ 2/3 real nice acoustic performances. Wanna make a 'proper'little vid for nxt single 'aquamarine' - there, miss Lex, there's the drgstr scoop (but only out early nxt year...)
- anonymous Brian? love it! tx for cool comms -
artists/musicians always say they dont care if other ppl like their stuff - I really dont believe thats true - heart always feels a little warmer when aom1 else found something to like here...
x x x

Lex said...

Oh, so two videos to wait for then, even more exciting! :) x

isabel monteiro said...

vids MASTERPLAN: 3 and 1/2?

1 - beachpod live acoustic sesh: 2/3 bandmade minivids
(oct)
2 - CLOUDS : lonesome beach shot bandmade vid
(nov)
3 - AQUAMARINE; proper lo-fi vid done w/ student video maker w/ as much unrealistic ambitions as energy
(jan)
but,
whether we'll get it all done or lose plot half-way through the tequila supervideohighway, remains to be seen...
happydays. x x x