The Neighbourhood Watch‘s brooding new single, “Die This Happy,” serves as the exciting focal point of their brand new album, Mr. Skin and Bones. This track explores the fear that life’s best moments may already be behind you, addressing the inevitable realities of illness, loss, and personal change while simultaneously reflecting the album’s overarching theme: life’s unpredictability, the power of love, and the profound beauty found in the small, often fleeting moments.

Mr. Skin and Bones, as a whole, is an ode to the human condition — a meditation on grief, illness, and the harshness of growing older. The album draws inspiration from personal hardships, the loss of loved ones, and the unpredictable nature of existence. Throughout the LP’s 10 tracks, the band conveys their ongoing journey through these challenges, acknowledging their fragility while also celebrating the strength they find in love, community, and shared experiences.

The album’s focus track, “Die This Happy,” captures this essence with haunting melodies and powerful lyrics that ask if we’ve already lived through our happiest day. “Die This Happy” dives deep into this fear, contemplating the impermanence of joy and the difficulty of embracing life’s darker moments.

Hey Melissa, hope your week is off to a good start!

The Neighbourhood Watch‘s brooding new single, “Die This Happy,” serves as the exciting focal point of their brand new album, Mr. Skin and Bones. This track explores the fear that life’s best moments may already be behind you, addressing the inevitable realities of illness, loss, and personal change while simultaneously reflecting the album’s overarching theme: life’s unpredictability, the power of love, and the profound beauty found in the small, often fleeting moments.

Mr. Skin and Bones, as a whole, is an ode to the human condition — a meditation on grief, illness, and the harshness of growing older. The album draws inspiration from personal hardships, the loss of loved ones, and the unpredictable nature of existence. Throughout the LP’s 10 tracks, the band conveys their ongoing journey through these challenges, acknowledging their fragility while also celebrating the strength they find in love, community, and shared experiences.

The album’s focus track, “Die This Happy,” captures this essence with haunting melodies and powerful lyrics that ask if we’ve already lived through our happiest day. “Die This Happy” dives deep into this fear, contemplating the impermanence of joy and the difficulty of embracing life’s darker moments.

Watch + share the official “Die This Happy” music video: https://youtu.be/4xkPkwElSjk

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1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically?

Die This Happy explores the fear that life’s best moments may already be behind you, addressing the inevitable realities of illness, loss, and personal change while simultaneously reflecting the album’s overarching theme: life’s unpredictability, the power of love, and the profound beauty found in the small, often fleeting moments. We thought it would be good to visualize to capture the overall story of the new album, setting the tone for the whole piece.

2. What was the inspiration behind this video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?

The idea came after seeing Hannah, one of the dancers, krumping on Instagram. She’d been in another project I made, and when I saw her dance, I thought it’d be interesting to pair that style with a totally different type of music. I wanted to see how Hannah and other dancers (who all came from different backgrounds but could all freestyle) would respond to the song when they heard it for the first time. I find the song itself really emotional, touching on themes like the turbulence of youth, the fear of aging, and the pursuit of fleeting joy. It just felt like a perfect match for that kind of raw, free expression that I saw in Hannah’s dancing. I’m also a big fan of Bakar’sAlivevideo, which features this amazing choreographed dance all shot amongst members of the general public in the streets of London. I thought it’d be amazing to try something similar but with freestyle dancers instead.

3. What was the process of making this video?

We shot it in a really guerilla, documentary style. We used two cameras with super long zoom lenses, the kind you’d usually see on wildlife documentaries. It was important to me that the dancers didn’t know we were filming them as I felt it would help make it feel authentic. I didn’t want them to feel like they were performing for the camera, but instead just getting lost in the music. That made the whole thing feel more real and natural. We also wanted the general public to just see the dancers as people freestyling on the streets of Toronto. Most people were too caught up in their day to stop and watch, but a few were clearly impressed. I think some people were a bit concerned about what they were seeing. Some of the dancers were so immersed in the music that it almost looked like they were possessed. At one point, a shopkeeper in Chinatown quickly shut their shutters when one of the dancers moved toward them. Definitely a memorable moment! Normally, music videos rely on choreographed dances, so it was cool to see how each dancer interpreted the song in their own way. The song really has so many different meanings depending on how you look at it, so letting the dancers freestyle gave it a more personal, authentic feel.

All answers by director Charlie Hill.