Every band has a song that feels like a turning point, and for San Diego indie group Poems, that moment arrived with “Afterparty”.

Equal parts anxious confession and electrified catharsis, the track has quickly become their live closer and a fan favorite. Now, with a brand new video directed by rising LA filmmaker Christopher Shaibi, the song has taken on a vivid new life, one that mirrors the tension of dressing up for the night, only to feel like an outsider the second you walk through the door.

Poems are a band unafraid to dig into vulnerability, pulling from their own struggles with identity, prescription medication and the heavy fog of anxiety that often lingers around young adulthood. Yet their music never wallows.

Instead, it channels those insecurities into commanding vocals, raw emotion and the kind of guitar driven textures that recall early 2000’s indie icons while carving out something distinctly their own.

We sat down with the band to talk about the making of the Afterparty video, the influences that shaped its story and how this release signals where Poems are heading next.

Watch the Official Music Video for “Afterparty” here:

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

Afterparty was born from memories of the past, being an adolescent wallflower at every party attended. It’s about that feeling of wanting to break out of your shell and be that person you want to be, but crippling anxiety taking hold of you in every moment. 
We chose to visualize the song this way to really showcase what it’s like being in that constant state of living in your own head. Imagine dressing your absolute best for the party, only to arrive feeling like you have to pretend to be someone just to get through the night. 

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

We definitely pulled some inspiration from some of our favorite music videos. Over the years, we really loved staying up to date with Interpol and The 1975’s style of storytelling through visuals. We didn’t want to divulge too much of the storyline through the visuals alone, but leave a more broad landscape of what they song is trying to convey. 

3. What was the process of making the video?

We were able to get in contact with a really awesome video creator by the name of Christopher Shaibi in LA. He has worked with some heavy hitters in the industry as he is really starting to make a name for himself, so we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work with him. 

We rented out a studio in LA for the day and dug in. We were able to give Chris a rough outline of how we wanted to final product to look, and he far exceeded our expectations! It was so fun to see our song vision come to life!

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