by Jane Lambert

VIDEO VOYAGEUR: 3 Q’s WITH DEBO RAY

Debo Ray is well known for her powerhouse vocals, and for her ability to command stage presence, but with her latest single “Take That,” the Boston based artist opens a new chapter. Vulnerable, raw and fearless, the song marks a turning point in her music journey – one where personal history, healing and musical innovation come together.

In this exclusive interview, Debo shares the story behind “Take That,” the emotionals that shaped its lyrics, and the process of bringing her past and present selves together on screen.

Filmed in collaboration with Vano Projects, the music video captures the emotional weight of childhood memory, the struggle to reclaim identity and the ultimate act of self liberation.

Watch the Official Music Video here:

1.Tell us the story of this song. Why did you choose to visualise this song specifically in this way?

“Take That” is about reclaiming your power. It’s about what happens when you face down your past, especially the parts that tried to define you, and choose to stand in your truth anyway. I (and my writing partners Jerry Velona and Prince Charles Alexander) wrote this song from the perspective of someone who’s walked through emotional fire and come out the other side with scars and strength.

We chose to visualize this story by weaving together my past and present selves: child Debo and adult Debo, because I truly believe our younger selves never leave us. They’re witnesses. They’re roots. They hold the earliest versions of our dreams. Showing both timelines in the video allowed us to bring that emotional journey to life. I wanted people to feel the transformation.

The video team at Vano Projects helped us bring this vision to life with so much creativity and care, even within the constraints of an indie artist budget (which, let’s be real, is always a part of the puzzle!). We shot everything in just a day and a half across three nearby locations, and somehow, it all came together like magic.

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

I’m a first-generation Haitian-American, raised in a deeply religious and traditional household. My upbringing was filled with music (both my parents are gifted singers and instrumentalists) but it was also filled with strict expectations, unspoken tension, and emotional volatility. My father had a temper that shaped a lot of my early experiences with fear, shame, and silence. Those patterns followed me, even into adulthood.

For years, I buried that part of my story. I thought if I just kept performing, kept achieving, I could outrun the pain. But when I began writing this album, I knew I had to be honest. “Take That” became a turning point: a declaration. Not of vengeance, but of truth. A way of saying: This happened. It shaped me. But it doesn’t own me anymore.

The visuals reflect that healing arc. There’s resistance, confrontation, but ultimately, release. And that’s the legacy I want to build; not one of hiding pain, but transforming it.

3. What was the process of making the video?

Creating with Bojan and Laura of Vano Projects is always a joy. They’re not just brilliant visual storytellers, they’re collaborators who really see me. We’ve done several videos together now, and they understand my vision, my aesthetic, and my need to tell the whole story from styling, setting, emotion, all of it.

Jerry (my husband, co-writer, and creative partner) and I brought them a loose concept rooted in the lyrics: this idea of a young girl running toward herself. I told them I was finally ready to show more of what I’d been holding back. From there, the four of us sculpted the vision: Laura sourced the two phenomenal actors — Jaelyn Francis, who played little me, and Jimmy Jules, who played my father — and Bojan found the main location. Jerry suggested the Harvard Stadium for the final running shots, which gave the video that haunting sense of endurance and triumph.

We shot most of it in one powerful, emotional day and wrapped up with a quick sunrise shoot at the stadium. The result is something that feels both deeply personal and universally human. It’s one of the bravest things I’ve ever created.

Keep up with Debo Ray on her Website

06.30.25

by Jane Lambert

VIDEO VOYAGEUR: 3 Q’s WITH REEYA BANERJEE

Get ready to hit the ground running with Reeya Banerjee’s brand new music video for her punchy new single “Runner.”

This visually dynamic video brings to life the hectic, high energy pace of Reeya’s NYC corporate commute days. All complete with high heels, crowded platforms and a barefoot dash through Grand Central Station.

Directed by Reeya herself and edited by Khalifa Cyrus, the video captures the raw, scrappy energy of city life and the relentless rhythm of chasing deadlines, trains, and moments of breathless motion. It’s a candid and kinetic snapshot of a uniquely New York experience, set to a soundtrack that’s as urgent and unrelenting as the story it tells.

Watch “Runner” now and feel the pulse of the city through Reeya’s eyes:

1. Tell us the story of this song. Why did you choose to visualize it this way?

“Runner” is a punky, breathless tribute to my NYC corporate commute era — all high heels, Metro-North mayhem, and motion without pause. I was constantly running: to the train, to the office, back to the platform, across the Mid-Hudson Bridge after work… lather rinse repeat five days a week.

This song captures that manic rhythm. I wanted to visualize it literally — because I really did run barefoot through Grand Central to catch my train. So we shot that. It felt right to put my actual memories on screen.

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

This is my first traditional narrative music video — and it’s rooted in one of the most absurd and real parts of my 20s. The storyline recreates my daily commute: barrelling through the streets of midtown Manhattan, dodging crowds in Grand Central, racing across the platform in heels (or not), and finally collapsing into a train seat as the Hudson River goes by. Khalifa Cyrus brought the pacing to life by blending live footage, timelapses, and performance moments that channel the song’s urgency. It’s scrappy, sweaty, and deeply New York.

3. What was the process of making the video?

We shot on location in Manhattan and Brooklyn — no permits, just sneakers (and high heels!), friends, and phones. Guntas Singh and Jack Quigley helped film the Grand Central and street scenes while I directed and hoped no one would kick us out of the concourse. Khalifa Cyrus handled the edit, cutting between candid footage and the video’s climactic barefoot sprint. This was a deeply DIY process that mirrors the energy of the song: raw, real, and running on fumes.

Keep up with Reeya Banerjee on her Website

06.11.25

by Jane Lambert

VIDEO VOYAGEUR: 3 Q’s with HAVILAH TOWER

Sometimes, the most resonant songs emerge not from a single moment of inspiration but from a long, quiet process of rediscovery.

“Open Wide” is the latest single from cinematic folk-pop artist Havilah Tower, and it is one such song – a reflective and emotionally charged meditation on what it means to outgrow the life you thought you wanted. Tower explores the quiet reckoning that comes when ambition gives way to presence, and when clarity begins to form in the spaces we often overlook.

The journey to Open Wide began with an unexpected spark: an article about her alma mater, the University of Texas at Austin, hiring their first Songwriter-in-Residence.

That artist, Darden Smith, would go on to mentor Tower through a series of creative breakthroughs, helping her reconnect with her voice in new ways. What followed was a groundbreaking collaboration across borders – Tower and her longtime trio partnered with international music startup Hall Up to bring the track to life, working with UK-based producer David A. Griffiths and Hollywood engineer Adam Freeman to shape the sound.

“Open Wide” marks a shift not just in Tower’s sound, but in her storytelling. It’s the product of reflection, resilience and a willingness to see – and sing – the truth.

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

Our newest single, Open Wide, is a cinematic folk-pop song that explores what happens when you’ve built up a “dream life” but it turns out to be different than you thought or want anymore.

Open Wide is a raw, lyrical reflection on trading illusion for truth—and finding the courage to be honest with yourself on what really matters to you, which often are the simple things around you all along.

Or you can stream or buy Open Wide on your favorite music platform: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/havilahtower/open-wide

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

For the Open Wide music video, we wanted to bring the core message of the song, showing the contrast of someone leading a seemingly successful life on the surface while also struggling.

In the music video for “Open Wide”, you follow a central character as she rises to fame through her music, a life she worked hard to create. Even though it all looks beautiful on the outside, she is struggling on the inside missing the core, fundamental things in her life she grew up like spending time with family, true connections with friends and a sense of herself.

Central to where we meet the main character in the story is an unraveling of this supposed “dream life”. It’s through this unraveling that she breaks through to something more meaningful, her own truth and direction – all things that take courage to embrace when you’re leading such a seemingly successful life. This shift plays out in the music video as a parallel between her adult self and her childhood memories that she starts to reconnect with.

It’s a reminder that all the glitters is not gold, and that sometimes our hardest moments can be doorways into something more truer and more meaningful. Hence the lyrics: “Unraveling minds open wide”.

3. What was the process of making the video?

In making Open Wide, we wanted to push the envelope of leveraging technology to tell the story. We tend to embrace a “test and learn” mentality so we decided to leverage some of the latest AI tools, like Runway, and build out the narrative portion of the story, which involved a lot of hours of fine-tuning prompts and then of course, editing the clips to tell the story. Through this work, we built out the journey of our central character.

Simultaneously, we wanted to ground the video in this world with a performance from our band so we conducted multiple filmings in order to capture each of us to interweave throughout the video, mainly featuring Havilah Tower as the primary narrator who is singing Open Wide.

There is a subtle moment that happens at the beginning and end of the music video, starting off with what appears to be a forced smile but ending with a more real, authentic smile. The smile bookends the journey of going from a seemingly successful life to truer success of being connected to yourself and making choices that are actually fulfilling.

Find out more about Havilah Tower on her Website

05.27.25

by Jane Lambert

VIDEO VOYAGEUR: 3Q’s WITH STIGMA

Emerging from the heart of Germany’s modern rock scene, Stigma are not here to chase trends.

With their debut album Second Chance on the horizon, the band is carving out a sound that is both emotionally raw and powerfully cinematic in sound.

Their latest single, “Faraway,” serves as a stunning entry point. It’s a brooding, confessional track steeped in guilt, isolation and that quiet ache of waiting for redemption.

But what sets Stigma apart isn’t just the intensity of their music. It is the honesty behind it. For their first official video, the band turned the camera inward and cpatured not a scripted narrative, but the real-time journey of recording “Faraway” in a remote mountain studio.

We sat down with the band to talk about the origins of “Faraway,” the making of the video, and what fans can expect from Second Chance. What followed was a candid, heartfelt conversation about facing the past, embracing vulnerability, and holding out hope for what’s still to come:

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

Faraway is about guilt, isolation, and the hope for redemption – someone exiled, trapped by both physical walls and inner regrets, holding on to the distant dream of being forgiven. It’s not about escape, but about waiting to be freed. That emotional weight runs through every line of the song.

We wanted to show that tension honestly. The video shifts between two sides: the intense, emotional live performance while recording the track, and the quiet, raw moments behind the scenes. No drama, no acting – just what really happened.

That contrast brings authenticity. It’s not a concept video – it’s a feeling. A haunting pull toward something just out of reach – but with the quiet certainty that the day will come.

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

We approached the video like a short documentary – no actors, no script, just what actually happened. The storyline behind the scenes follows our real journey: arriving at the studio in the mountains, stepping out of the car, setting up gear, getting feedback from our producer, tuning, laughing, working. It’s that quiet buildup before the storm – a glimpse into the atmosphere that shaped the song.

Visually, the contrast was key. We alternated these raw, candid moments with close-up shots of us performing Faraway in the studio – not for the camera, but for real.

That mix gives the video its pulse. It’s less about acting out a plot and more about letting the setting, the process, and the people tell the story. The goal was simple: to make you feel the song, not just hear it.

3. What was the process of making the video?

I brought in Mattia Mariotti – a skilled video producer and guitarist for Philipp Burger (Frei.Wild) – to film our time in the studio. I asked him to capture everything without restriction. No script, no posing – just real moments. I trusted his eye and gave him full freedom to document whatever unfolded.

After several days of shooting, he told me, “There’s a lot of material here.” That’s when I had the idea to turn it into our first official video. What made it click was the natural rhythm of the footage – the way the calm, intimate behind-the-scenes shots contrasted with the explosive, emotional performance scenes. It mirrored exactly what Faraway does musically: restrained, confessional verses that build into a powerful, wide-open chorus.

That structure became the backbone of the edit. The camera follows the same emotional arc as the song itself – from inner conflict to a burst of longing and release.

That’s how the video found its form: through truth, not planning.

Follow Stigma on their Website

05.19.25

by Jane Lambert

VIDEO VOYAGEUR: 3 Q’s WITH MADAME Z

In a world increasingly defined by crisis – climate change, social division, political dysfunction, and a profound disconnection from nature and one another – art and music can serve as both mirror and medicine.

For Madame Z , music isn’t just an outlet. It is a lifeline. A writer at heart, and a musician by calling, she brings a deep emotional honesty to her work, balancing the stark realities of the present moment with a fierce and unwavering belief in our collective potential to heal and transform.

Her latest release “Save The World” is a heartfelt plea for unity in the face of collapse. It is a song born out of sorry and yet steeped in hope. A reminder that while we may feel powerless as individuals, together, we still hold the power to change course.

In this Exclusive Interview, Madame Z opens up about the inspiration behind the track, the challenges of being a one woman creative force, and why the video’s poignant visuals are just as essential as the lyrics themselves.

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

It can be deeply disheartening to reflect on the state of the world – the pollution, the relentless destruction of our planet on so many levels, the poisoning of our oceans and waterways, the mass extinction of countless species (thanks, unsurprisingly, to human activity), the reality of climate change (whether some choose to acknowledge it or not), and the ever-present forces of bigotry, racism, war, genocide, political dysfunction, division, and hatred. The list feels endless – and it is catastrophic. The energy of the planet itself seems to echo this pain.

As Einstein once said, “Man invented the atomic bomb, but no mouse would ever construct a mousetrap.” In so many ways, we are engineering our own downfall – driven by capitalism, greed, and a profound disconnection from one another and from the Earth. This song, I believe, speaks volumes without needing much explanation. Yes, it’s painful to witness and experience all of this. It can feel overwhelming, even hopeless. But the message at the heart of it is powerful: we need to come together. It’s not too late. We still have the ability to make a difference – even if it’s just by being a light in the darkness and holding on to the possibility of change.

Similarly, the video itself highlights much despair and destruction but also intertwines moments of hope and potential. The current state of the world may feel bleak but there is potential for humanity to turn it around.

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

As noted, it coincides with the lyrics themselves. Despair (which many of us have been feeling as of late) but looking to the future of possibility. As one person, I may not be able to change the entire world but TOGETHER we can make an impact.

3. What was the process of making the video?

I chose to use AI for this video because, simply put, I’m a one-woman operation.

I have three kids and a demanding executive-level corporate job that often spills into evenings and weekends. Music isn’t my primary or even secondary priority in terms of time – but it’s essential to who I am. It’s as vital to me as the air I breathe. At my core, I’m a writer. Music is one of the few ways I can fully express the emotions and thoughts I often struggle to put into words. But with the limited time I have, I have to rely on the tools available to me to help bring my ideas to life.

My publisher has been encouraging me to pair videos with my releases, but since it’s just me doing all of this, I lean on resources that make that possible. I’d love to shoot and produce videos from scratch – but right now, that’s just not a realistic option. So, I do what I can. I created short video snippets and pieced them together to help visualize the message I wanted to share through this song. It might not be perfect – but perfection is overrated anyway.

What matters most is the message, the emotion and the intention behind it.

Stay connected with Madame Z:

Website / Instagram / Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube Music

02.14.25

by Jane Lambert

VIDEO VOYAGEUR: 3 Q’S WITH ANDREW STONEHOME

Andrew Stonehome isn’t just making music. He is creating experiences that resonate with the listener on a deeper level. His latest single “Then You Fly” is an introspective conversation with his inner child, capturing the emotional complexities of growth and the power in vulnerability.

As an artist who writes, performs, and produces his own music, Andrew’s dedication to authenticity is evident.

With “Then You Fly”, he takes that honesty a step further, translating the song’s deeply personal message into a striking visual.

In this interview, Andrew opens up about the inspiration behind the track, the challenges of balancing emotion with melody and the creative process behind his latest music video.

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

This song is a conversation with my inner child, whom I’ve tried to protect for so much of my life. Recently, I’ve had to confront some of my deepest fears around vulnerability, and this song feels like a snapshot of my thoughts on that.

When I wrote the lyrics, I dug deep and allowed myself to get emotional, which isn’t usually my approach. Each sentiment in the song feels incredibly personal to me. This is the song I feel most connected to – more than anything else I’ve written. If someone were to ask me for an example of my music, this would be the song I’d share.

Because this song is so personal and important to me, I wanted to create a video for it that I could be as proud of as I am of the song itself.

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

I enjoy creating videos and the creative challenges that come with it. I wanted to visually show that I play all of the instruments in my music. My vision was to create the look of an entire band, where I’m every member, performing live on stage. Initially, I had hoped to make it look like there was a large gospel choir, with me as every member, alongside the band. However, due to time and technical limitations, I had to settle for three background singers.

I watched some other videos to see how they approached things, and one that was particularly helpful was Brandi Carlile’s video for “The Story.”

It was useful to notice little details, like how she looked directly at the camera for some shots.

3. What was the process of making the video?

I came up with the concept for the video and asked my friend Vince Radostitz, a talented photographer and videographer, if he’d be willing to film it for me. To test the concept, I filmed a rough version at home and then shared the demo with Vince so he could get a sense of what I was envisioning. We met to brainstorm further, and I visited a few locations to decide where to film. I also created a document with a plan and agenda for the filming day, including a detailed shot list, specifying which outfits I’d wear for each part and how long each segment should take.

We filmed at the Patricia Reser Center for the Performing Arts, which is close to my house.

We started loading in at 10 a.m., and it took a few hours for the crew to set up the lighting, so we didn’t actually start filming until almost 2 p.m. We finished around 6 p.m., and I was relieved that we managed to capture most of what I’d hoped for. It took me a couple of weeks to edit everything, which was fun because Vince did such a great job of getting fantastic footage. I was really happy with how it turned out.

I also created a “Making of” video that offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the video was made, and I’m just as proud of it as I am of the final video itself: