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

Video Voyager: Low Tide Levee’s Video for “Dang Diggy”

Low Tide Levee is the newly emerging band of seasoned musicians featuring singer/songwriter, composer, drummer, pianist, and former marine biologist Amy Brookes as the primary creative force. She writes the songs, sings lead vocals and harmonies, and plays drums, percussion, and keyboard. Her husband, Sasha Ames, is the band’s bassist and, sometimes, studio guitarist, and the trio is rounded out by a guitarist.

The band just released their new single “Dang Diggy” and it’s accompanying video. The 60’s pop and progressive rock song was written during one of Amy’s jaunts to a local tea shop she used to frequent to get the creative juices flowing. She came up with this tune, not really expecting much from it, but it ended up being a band favorite.

The fun Claymation video depicts the character of Dang Diggy as an almost divine entity, throwing pies down onto the man below. This man is in a boat with nowhere to run from the pies, his only options are to jump out and swim or sit and take it. It’s a clear depiction of life through whatever it has down on you, good and bad.

We spoke to Amy about the video and what her ideas were:

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

Dang Diggy came to me during one of my jaunts to my local tea shop that I used to frequent, a unique kind of place to gather and chat with random strangers, while enjoying the subtleties and meditation of gongfu tea ceremony. I often used my walks there and my time sipping tea to invite in the creative process, and many a gem came and was captured with my voice memo or note app on my phone.

The words just came into my head, and I thought it was a fun, silly, trippy song that could be a camp song. Little did I know that my band would love it and we would turn it into a rock anthem. Each pie is a ridiculous stoner dream of an over- the-top kind of dessert that exceeds all reason and just sounds like heaven, even if it would in reality be too much. Eventually, I realized that this incredible mask we found for our music studio (aka the “Funk Palace”) *was* Dang Diggy, and that Dang Diggy was absolutely this non-gendered deity that hung about in the sky throwing down pies to whomever might be fortunate enough to receive them.

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

It was my dream to have a Claymation video showing the story of this character Dang Diggy, a deity-like being who hangs about in the sky throwing down all the different pies. I found someone on Fiverr (Aleksej Pezzi) who did really cool Claymation music videos, and we worked together on filling out the rest of the story and visuals. He proposed a number of different characters for the little creature receiving the pies, and I fell in love with one of them that was sort of Gumby-like with this big heart on its chest.  I liked the idea of the creature being in a boat since our band is very inspired by the ocean.  

What was the process of making this video? 

I wrote to Aleksej about the Dang Diggy mask (and sent photos) and the idea of a Claymation version of it throwing down pies, and we went through a process of sketches and proposals for each character’s look – starting with a sketch and progressing to a clay version.  He sent me a mock-up for each scene and we ironed out the details.  I wasn’t exactly keen on having Dang Diggy’s pie come out of its nose bathed in snot in one verse, but he kept it in and I just went with it (lol!!).  In the end, I wound up loving the whole little movie, it was beyond the sum of its parts and I was so delighted with the expression Aleksej created in each character as the story progresses.  No matter how many times I’ve viewed it now, it still cracks me up!  

Connect with Low Tide Levee via:

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

Video Voyager: Lenni Revel’s “Where There Ain’t No Sun”

Lenni Revel’s story begins the way most fairytales end: Big A&R professionals vying for her music, Grammy nominations, and billboards in Times Square promoting her music. But her pop dream ended when she was kicking Adderall cold turkey in a shed outside of her parent’s house and plunged into such darkness that she was eventually admitted to a psych ward and put on suicide watch. Her upcoming album, Unbroken, is about her rebirth and reclamation from the clutches of mental health struggles, drugs, and the music business machine. Unbroken also embodies a profound love story between Lenni and her husband, Robert Revel, a family lawyer and critically-acclaimed author who wrote and co-wrote much of the album.

Her video for her latest outlaw country-esque and pop-rock infused single “Where There Ain’t No Sun” conceptualizes pain and loss. While Lenni’s voice is powerful on it’s own, the imagery of a cemetery really drives home the emotional aspect of the song. What really drives the video home is when Lenni releases ashes at the top of a hill at the climax of the song. It’s chilling, haunting, and mesmerizing. She’s symbolically letting go, releasing herself from the pain.

We spoke with Lenni about the music video:

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

The cemetery in the video is a beautiful old site where the founders of the city are buried. It is a favorite walking path of many locals, including Robert and I. The Mausoleum is also on the cemetery site, and we were granted access by a kindly groundskeeper to shoot the interior scenes depicted in the video. The hilltop scene, where the urn ceremony occurs, is another hiking favorite locale of ours. We imagined that one day we would shoot some kind of music video on the spot because of its beauty.

What was the inspiration behind this video?

The song, “Where There Ain’t No Sun” was originally written about unrequited love. I evolved the song’s vocal melodies and facilitated structural and lyrical changes to accommodate my interpretation of the song as being fundamentally about deep loss and grief. My version brought the visual application of the music to images of death, but painted delicately and beautifully with a performance with heart and soul right at the center of it.

What was the process of making this video?

Once the cemetery location was chosen, the time of year to shoot there became an important element; we wanted to capture the beautiful lush green grasses and mosses that grow there in the spring—new life emerging from death. We shot the graveyard scenes in March and soon after we shot the mausoleum scene at the same location. Our dog “Kota” (she is a pure-bred Thai Ridgeback) was utilized in the gravestone shots as an element representing the haunting aspects of grief and the unseen but ever-watching spirit world. Kota, as a recurring element has subsequently made appearances in every music video I’ve performed in. The ceramic urn used for the ashes has special value to Robert, as it is the gift of his best friend who passed away in his fifties. The drone shots on top of the mountain were shot by a local drone pilot who typically shoots for real estate clientele. We had to shoot the ash ceremony quickly as the sun was setting and we had only a few-minute window to gather all the footage.

Watch here:

Connect with Lenni via:
Website / Instagram / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / TikTok / Spotify / Soundcloud

Video Voyager: Brittaney Delsarte Chatman “Talk to Me”

Photo Credit: Vincent Noto

If you haven’t already watched Brittaney Delsarte Chatman’s video for her latest R&B single, “Talk to Me,” your not only missing out on stunning visual storytelling, but also the production quality. Brittaney’s video was released in March 2022 and even when she hit an obstacle, she didn’t let that get her down. “On March 4, 2022, I was a victim of a cyber security attack,” she shares. “The hack compromised my marketable IG content for my music and my brand with deleted followers, highlights, and posts. This put my video campaign to a full halt. You know what they say chile- New levels, New Devils.”

She continues: “But, as I always say- any setback is just a setup for a comeback! I built my platform from the ground up and I can get it back to where it was and perhaps surpass where I was. If you knew about the hack and you continue to support me by viewing & sharing my new music ‘Talk to Me’ on your platforms, I want to thank you from the bottom of my lower intestines lol. Your support kept me strong for these past two months but now I’m back with the jump off!”

Brittaney had the help of an amazing team to get the video looking as great as it does, like the Producer and Cinematographer Nick Libraro, Assistant Director and Producer Mia Francois, and Director Rye Caraway. We got to speak with Nick on the production of this video in this edition of Video Voyager.

Let’s dive in:

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

As producer and cinematographer for this project, I was truly able to tell the story that Brittaney portrayed in her song ‘Talk to Me’. As a creator, the story of this song can be seen from a quick glance- A strong woman wants love, and will make her stand in doing so. By taking a deeper look, you can see that Brittaney is pouring her soul into the overall story via lyrics. She is showing her listeners that she’s not only smart, strong, and capable of being on her own, but she’s opening a door into her mind and heart; vulnerability is the word we used throughout this process. We chose to stick with this word and visualize Brittaney being vulnerable on camera because it not only shows the world who she is, but it breaks the visual media stereotype that Black women always need to be strong. Brittaney allows the listeners to hear a side of her that not many people have gotten to experience beforehand – so utilizing this vulnerability in a cinematic and creative way was the best way to tell the story of ’Talk to Me’.

What was the inspiration behind this video?

The main inspiration behind the video itself of course is the lyrics, but mainly it was Brittaney. As the one who handled bringing the story to life via writing/ storyboards, I found myself listening to the song on repeat constantly, focusing in on lyrics and moods. However, in doing so, we originally lost a nuance that needed to be told – Brittaney’s story, not just any story. From the writing room to constructive zoom meetings with the main team of producers and directors, we were able to merge the stories and bring it to life – adding dance numbers/ choreography, bringing Brittaney’s Blossom energy to it. I think personally that’s what the inspiration is; she’s an incredible soul and by telling this story, I believe people will finally understand who Brittaney truly is.

What was the process of making this video?

The process of making this video was quite extensive as we wanted to truly do our best not only in telling the story, but ensuring the visuals were perfect. We had a full 3 process breakdown with pre-production, production, and post. For about 3 months before shooting, Brittaney and myself met via zoom with director, Rye Caraway, and other producers to discuss plans, budgets, props, locations, camera gear, equipment, extras, and much more. Assistant Director Mia Francois, an accomplished producer herself, was kind enough to send over an amazing excel checklist that helped me and the internal SnaggleTooth team really iron out any kinks or issues we may have had. During this process, we were traveling the coast of NY to find locations (restaurants, coffee shops) – and unfortunately at the last minute, even with all of this planning, we had a minor issue with locations. Luckily it was resolved quickly with the amazing NY restaurant The Renaissance, in Harlem, allowing us to rent out their back room. We also rented a gorgeous brownstone that was beautifully furnished that we turned into Brittaney’s apartment. Our production process was incredibly smooth and I thank the team we had as well as the extensive pre production process we had in play. Not only did we know lighting setups, angles, and exact locations for each scene; but Brittaney and guest artist L’Marco worked closely with choreographer Tiffani Jones to perfect their dance routine. After our two production days as well as a pick-up day to capture some extra emotional scenes that truly rounded out the video shoot, Brittaney and I went into the editing room via zoom. We sat together for an entire evening going through scene by scene, fixing colors, adjusting clips, and really making ‘Talk to Me’ the work of art it is. It wouldn’t trade the process we utilized and truly, I have adopted this process now for SnaggleTooth Productions more high-end videos and budgets. Stay tuned for more amazing music from Brittaney and some more visuals coming soon!

Watch here:

Follow Brittaney via:

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

Kick and the Hug’s Video for their Single “Born Too Late” is an Embrace of Live Music Experience of the Past and Present

The up and coming four-piece indie pop band, Kick and the Hug, grew up with a live music experience that, simply put, is slowly going out of style. The era of taking in the music by feeling it is now gone. While the music listeners and concert goers of today still take in the music, though in a new and different way, what they have that Kick and the Hug didn’t is the internet. Smartphones and social media have changed the landscape of concerts and live music, therefore changing the way music is experienced. The generation of Woodstock attendees and Dead Heads are replaced with the new generation of P!nk and Arianna Grande concerts, which is usually posted about the next day. Kick and the Hug’s most recent single, “Born Too Late” is a pop rock song about seeing a concert through the phone.

The video for “Born Too Late” takes the idea of being born into a generation of music that enjoys a concert through posting about being there on Instagram and turns it on it’s head. The normal thing to do now is to post a photo and/or video of the concert you went to. Members of the Kick and the Hug, who would enjoy music like the Dead Heads, were now experiencing music through their phones. They had changed with the time and realized that they were no longer experiencing music the same way either. Their use of baby dolls in the video is a visualization of the older members of the band both embracing social media and a reminder that they don’t need their phones to have an experience.

“It’s a song about watching shows through your phone…being a camera person instead of just being fully immersed in the show,” shares Doug Murray, lead singer and guitar player of Kick and the Hug. “It’s nice to show everyone on social media that you’re having a great time at this awesome show…but you know what’s better? Actually having the great time, not thinking about a post, or tomorrow or even five minutes into the future. It’s a little preachy, cause I catch myself posting clips all the time, but after releasing this song it’s a pretty good reminder to just get the damn shot, stick the phone in my pocket and connect with what’s going on around me.“

Watch the video:

You can find Kick and the Hug via:
Website // Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // Spotify // Soundcloud 

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin Get Dirty In New Video, “Critical Drain”

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin can write a good song but they can also pull a good stunt, as shown in their latest video “Critical Drain,” which just premiered on the MTVu website. The video, directed by the band’s friend Brook Linder and filmed in the band’s hometown, features some standard performance shots but mostly shows the band members dragged around on the ground. They even get splashed with paint in the process! Although they did their own stunts and didn’t get hurt, I wouldn’t recommend trying this at home. Watch the video HERE.

And because the band just released, via Polyvinyl, the album Tape Club, which compiles all the best of what they’ve discarded over the years, they’re also touring! Are they coming near you? Check it out below.

Here are their upcoming tour dates:
9/24 – Polyvinyl’s 15 Year Anniversary @ Pygmalion Festival, CHAMPAIGN, IL w/ Braid, Deerhoof, Japandroids, and more
10/26 – Firehouse Pizza & Pub, NORMAL, IL
10/27 – MOTR, CINCINNATI, OH
10/28 – The Current, RICHMOND, VA
10/29 – Tremont Music Hall, CHARLOTTE, NC
10/30 – Local 506, CHAPEL HILL, NC
10/31 – The End, NASHVILLE, TN
11/04 – Firebird, ST. LOUIS, MO
11/05 – Mojo’s, COLUMBIA, MO
11/30 – Hi Dive, DENVER, CO
12/1 – Urban Lounge, SALT LAKE CITY, UT
12/2 – Neurolux, BOISE, ID
12/3 – Tractor Tavern, SEATTLE, WA
12/5 – Biltmore Cabaret, VANCOUVER, CANADA
12/6 – Mississippi Studios, PORTLAND, OR
12/8 – Hotel Utah, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
12/9 – Bootleg Theater, LOS ANGELES, CA
12/10 – Soda Bar, SAN DIEGO, CA