VIDEO PREMIERE | New Spell, "Home"
Emerging from from the ether of winter with San Francisco’s New Spell; photographed by Ed Ng.
Presenting the third installment of Of Time, San Francisco's New Spell provide some warm accompaniment for the cold solstice with the debut of the electric illumination visuals for "Home". Directed by Japhy Riddle & Callie Day; Leanne Kelly and Jake Frautschi are seen in the existential flux between technological mediums that serve as humanity interfaces of expression and communicative exchanges. From delving into models of the analogue, the organic to the digital — New Spell shine cadences that center around the idea of how we find and define senses of abode and solace in the age of technological reproduction and rapid relays of information.
The visuals for "Home" shines a light on New Spell in their place of dwelling within the ephemeral expanses of the electric arena. Technological aesthetics from the analogue, digital and organic are amplified by Riddle and Day's visual treatment that orchestrates a sparse city of intricate circuitry engulfed in melodic lights. The introspective and reflective mood of the track are set to a showcase of alarm clock typesets, slideshows, television tubes, motherboard patterns, neons, LEDs and more that capture the human spirit and experience with its connection to the mechanical. "Home" sees Leanne and Jacob armed with their synths and song — encapsulated within the encoded domicile of technological evolution.
Exclusive reflections by New Spell; photographed by Ed Ng.
Leanne Kelly of New Spell shared an introductory preface on the single and visual for “Home”:
“Home” is about finding hope and meaning despite the existential anxiety of living in a time that can sometimes feel hopeless. With climate change and political division, on top of our own individual traumas and pain, it can be hard sometimes—for me at least—to remember that at the end of the day we’re all in this together. The song is about being one of many small creatures on this planet floating through space and how love, art and beauty can help anchor us and promote change.
The song was written on my Juno 60 from 1983, which definitely contributed to a lot of the stylistic direction. Once I wrote the song and main sonic elements, our producer Max Savage arranged layer upon layer of synths while drummer Jacob Frautschi created futuristic glitchy textures on his Digitakt. The result is a retro vibe couched in a contemporary atmosphere.
In the accompanying music video by visual artist Japhy Riddle, nostalgic sci-fi aesthetics blend with dystopian imagery that is eerily reminiscent of our own disjointed but interconnected screen-filled world. Screens actually played a big part in the creation of the video. Japhy directed the live shots remotely via FaceTime, hooked up to the viewfinder as he was in Portland and we were in San Francisco. We love the not-too-distant-future world that the video creates and are excited to be releasing it along with our new single!
Catch New Spell on the following live dates:
December
04 Los Angeles, CA - Harvard and Stone
05 Davis, CA - Armadillo Music
07 Oakland, CA - Elbo Room Jack London
14 San Francisco, CA - Salesforce Park
“Home” video created by Japhy Riddle & Callie Day
Narrative Scenes Direction & Camera - Japhy Riddle & Callie Day
Featuring - Jacob Frautschi & Leanne Kelly
Performance Scenes Camera - Kurt Hickman
Style - Eraeon
Music & Lyrics - Leanne Kelly & New Spell
Production & Mixing - Max Savage
Mastering - Twin Peak Studios
Recording - Little Bird Studios