Music Video: Dave Hope and the Henchmen - Hell or High Water

One of Cork’s up and coming directors, Shaun O’ Connor, has been very recently. In the past few months he’s shot videos for many other up and comers in the Cork music scene such as Toy Soldeir, Exit:Pursued by a Bear, and Echogram, and here he’s pulled out a beautiful video for local folk band, Dave Hope and the Henchmen and their track ‘Hell or High Water’.

Plugging into the rustic folk style of Dave Hope, the video is slowly and wistfully arranged. Being shot in an antique vehicle yard in Halfway Co. Cork, the aesthetic of the ruined vehicles lends a rustic, run-down feel to the video, and it suits the Henchmen’s sound perfectly.

The track itself is a straight up piece of folk. Produced by Declan Sinnott, the song rests on its lyricism, its nature and its guitar melodies. It doesn’t blow you away with its ingenuity, but it’s such a nicely composed and pleasant song, that it very easily wins you over. Looking forward to hearing and seeing more from these guys in the future.

Watch the video here.

Download ‘Hell or High Water’ now on iTunes and check out more of Shaun O’ Connor’s work at his website here.

Published on Drop-D.ie - September 15th 2011

Music Video: Toy Soldier - Summertime

Another in a recent run of music videos from Cork director Shaun O’ Connor, electro pop band Toy Soldier have just released the video for their new single Summertime. A slow paced ballad, the track showcases the subtlety of performance that’s creeping into the band’s music. Every note, every effected beat and every lyric is placed perfectly.

Having been brought into the band’s lineup just about a year ago, singer Ciara Budds takes the lead vocal here, with the group’s other vocalist Cian Walsh taking a very much supporting role. It’s indicative of the work that Ciara has been clearly putting into Toy Soldier that she’s taking the lead here and it shows just how well Cian and Ciara work together vocally.

The video echoes the slow movement of the song, and Ciara’s prominence on it, as the focus is pulled between her and the ever changing background. The track is all about subtlety and the video is the same. Another great piece from a great director and band. We here at the D look forward to seeing their next outing together!

Published on Drop-D.ie - 8th September 2011

Video - Exit: Pursued By A Bear

Cork veterans Exit Pursued By A Bear have just released their new single, Hug. The track, and the accompanying video, are of such fine quality that they definitely deign a mention here on the D.

The band have always skittered around the electronic and the ambient, and Hug is a perfect example of how their sound is becoming ever more cohesive. The track is bathed in reverb; heavily effected guitars slink behind the loose drums and immediate vocals. The song’s bassline and pre-chorus breaks are a definite homage to reggae and dub. The track has a few peaks and troughs, but never really takes off, preferrring instead to give little crescendos then run back behind the wall of reverb and effects. It’s not a pop hit, but it’s an incredibly strong track that demands further listens.

The track’s elegant music video was directed by Cork up and comer, Shaun O’ Connor. Shaun has had a long standing relationship with Exit Pursued By A Bear, having directed two videos for them previous to this, as well as working with other rising Cork bands like Toy Soldier. And with works from Echogram, Ladydoll and Dave Hope and The Henchmen on the way, he’s definitely carving himself out a position of respect in the local scene.

In this case, the video reflects the mood and subject of the song very well. It’s shot in faint slow motion, echoing the laidback, almost lazy feel of the track. The heady emotions that go hand in hand with sexuality are expoused throughout. The excitement, the fear, the embarassement, the lust, the anger, the frustration and the intimacy are all very distinct in the short video. It’s beautifully sharp, and very well executed.

It’s indicitive of the state of the music industry in Ireland, and in general, that a independently shot music video has become part of the ‘package’ as much as having good music, good recordings, and guitars. Now if every band could put out the as high quality audio and visuals as Exit Pursued By A Bear have done here, we’d all be better off.

You can download Bug now directly from iTunes, or follow the links on the band’s Facebook here. Check out more from Shaun O’ Connor at his website here, and stay tuned for his new videos.

Published on Drop-D.ie, 9th August, 2011