VIDEO VOYAGEUR – 3 Q’s WITH ZOEY MADISON

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For Zoey Madison, music has never been confined to what we hear. The New York based R&B-pop artist approaches her work as a complete creative world, where sound, imagery, storytelling and personal experience all have a place. With her latest single, Love Like You, that vision becomes particularly vivid.

A beautifully arranged piano ballad that grows into a sweeping production of strings and layered vocals, the song traces the experience of finding yourself through relationships – and confronting just how much of yourself you can sometimes give away in the process. But the story doesn’t stop when the music ends. Madison has created an accompanying visual world drawing on her fascination with 1920s design, classic Hollywood and the surreal, otherworldly atmosphere of The Twilight Zone.

It’s an aesthetic that reflects an artist who has a clear idea of where she wants her music to take her. From the initial mood board to the finished video created with graphic artist Monique Mendoza, every frame has been considered as part of a larger artistic identity.

We caught up with Zoey to talk about the story behind love like you, the meaning of its pivotal bridge, her fascination with old Hollywood and why building a visual language around her music is just as important as the songs themselves.

Tell us the story of this track. Why did you choose to visualize it specifically in this way?

The song is a journey of finding yourself through new relationships culminating in my favorite part of the song, the bridge which demonstrates that sometimes we put ourselves through a lot to stay with people we love. I chose to visualize it through compilations of things I love like 1920’s type graphics, old Hollywood which I’m very passionate about and images reminiscent of the twilight zone to give it another worldly feeling.

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

I have always had a very particular view of what I want my brand and artistry to look like concerning my music. Visuals are very important to me. The various frames of the video were put together intentionally in such a way as to capture not only the mood of the song but advance the image I am trying to achieve.

What was the process of making this video?

I put together a mood board reflecting the images I found to represent my brand and what images of my brand I wanted my song “Love Like You” to convey. Working with graphic artist Monique Mendoza, we were able to put together a video which felt authentic to me as an artist. 

Keep up with everything Zoey Madison on her Website

Video Voyager with Jennifer Harper: “Beautiful Earth”

Musicians often boast they have music in their blood. They should give singer/songwriter/activist Jennifer Harper a run for her money. After listening to even a few of her missives, it’s all too easy to fall in love with her contemplative, assured artistry.

The singer/songwriter just released her new song, the intentional folk ballad “Beautiful Earth,” along with it’s music video. While the song is a dedication to Mother Earth, the video visually depicts Jennifer’s love and respect for nature and the Earth. The images flow across the screen as the wind blows through grass fields. She acknowledges everything that Earth offers and how spectacular it is, from the deserts of the Sahara to the forest-bathed waterfalls in the tropics.

We spoke with Jennifer about her video below:

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

This song is a vow to myself and to Mother Earth to call in my highest potential for her sake. It is also a vision of others doing the same – so that she may experience a rebirth from our collective healing.

Originally I was going to create a lyric video with beautiful images of the earth. But ultimately, it felt important to have me in the video, in nature – as the song is about calling in deeper connection between people and the earth. I wanted to create a visual that had a feeling of contemplation, prayer and celebration as I am “calling in” and “daring to dream, seeing rebirth” .

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

I definitely wanted to covey the magic and majesty of our beautiful planet with images of pristine natural beauty. “Visions washing over me, living in a world I believe in”

I love the way the filmmaker, Heather Seybolt, was able to weave me into many of the images of flowers and water, clouds and sky. I feel it helped illustrate the concept I wanted to convey- that we are one.

I especially love the rainbow washing over me. I also used a rainbow swirl in my single art. To me, rainbows are messages from a higher realm. They symbolize the new earth that I envision and call in through this song. I have had powerful experiences with rainbow light frequency. It has come to me and come from me in a surge of energy. So theres a much deeper meaning for me where it comes in twice in the video.

What was the process of making this video?

I filmed in LA with Heather one fun sunny afternoon. We played in nature and laughed and enjoyed the creative process together. The wind was with us. It was wonderful. We were short on time as we were shooting 2 videos in one day. We had no expectations for this. Just a brief window to play and see what magic we could create. We are a great team as we both get excited by the same things…. Oh look a purple flower… we have to get that! I know a place with long grass …. Oh yes! It was totally spontaneous. A beautiful creatively fulfilling day I will always treasure.

Connect with Jennifer Harper

Website / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Spotify / Soundcloud

Premiere: emily + shawn Return with Their New Folk Single “you and i”

For Brooklyn-based modern folk duo emily + shawn, the stuff in life that makes a difference requires heavy lifting, and careful attention to detail. Their music is an authentic reflection of their lives. emily + shawn’s songs are informed by their ethics, their myriad of experiences and interests, and their day to day interactions, which they characterize sweetly as “healthy clashes.”

They just released their new acoustic folk ballad about finding love and connection in the smaller moments that usually get forgotten. It’s a tonal departure from their previous singles, but just as beautiful. It has a strong Mumford and Sons meets The Lumineers with an Ingrid Michaelson undertone.

“’you and i’ is a song we wrote about our life as both a music duo and as a couple,” shares the duo. “Memories of living in New York City are present throughout, and the pensive chord progression gives the listener an element of nostalgia we tried to create lyrically. We produced this with David Baron of The Lumineers and wanted to emulate their raw, stripped-down feeling within the folk-rock genre.”

Connect with Emily + Shawn via:

Website // Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // TikTok // Spotify // Soundcloud