I've been working with Siouxsie now for about 4 years on music videos and photo/art for my music ventures. When we met up after many years, she had devoted herself to photography, and I had a lot of video experience under my belt. We decided to team up and learn from each other. To date, she has worked on all my art and has shot video for I'm thinking around 15 -16 music videos.
Capturing Settle Down Good on film
These photos capture what the song is about for me. If you want, I have a pre-release download of this song as a promo for the album. you can download it here. The song was a return to life song. I spent too many years chasing my tail. I was tired of the shoots and ladders way of life, and I just stopped the rat race.. I settled into my self, into what I already have, without worry of what I don't. There is a line in the song is 'I chopped down the world around me for the heart of the wood'.
Posting these Photographs courtesies of our band cinematographer & photographer Siouxsie Romack.
The heart of the wood
I had a friend at the time who was sobering up at our place, living there while he rebuilt his life. He had that wonderful energy someone has when they are experiencing a rebirth, a new life. One of his things was he liked to chop wood for exercise. It was a good thing because my property I think has about 20-25 big trees. They needed some help.
I had started this song a long time ago.. and once again I was inside trying and failing again to find a good Chorus. He ran in with a chunk of white wood, and said... "you know what this is?" —like it was a piece of gold — "What?" I said.. a chunk of wood.
"No, it's the heart of the wood" He didn't have to say anymore. I got it. Instantly, I sang the melody, and that was the link in the chain I needed. The heart of the wood: The heart of the wood is that center in all the rings of life. Back to the heart of the wood, is back to the origins, to the self, to what you are before time had her way with you. For me, the heart of the wood is the child that got forgotten in all those scared rings of time. The one who loved nature, family, and could get lost in beauty, art and just 'life.'
Film Photography - One of the experiments Siouxsie has been working on lately is film Photography. It's not anything pristine she's looking for through, don't we have enough of that!! She's trying to capture the feeling of those old photographs some of us from bygone days had, usually sitting in a 'photo drawer or picture book.
I decided to make these part of the promo. This is one of my brother's VWs. He collects them. There are several in the music video. But VWs are a part of our family life. My dad always had one, rebuilt them, and so they are sentimental to us all. They also just capture, what feels like to me at least, something of an innocence and enjoyment of life's simple pleasures. That is specific for me and where I come from because cars were a part of a simpler life. You worked on cars on the weekends.. you fixed them up. You took a cute girl on a date or a drive threw movie Those were almost gone when I was young, but there were a few still around.
I love the light in these photographs. When I saw them I realized how much different digital really is. This is not something that can truly be captured on digital. It's Chemistry & chaos. I looked at some that were damn good fakes of film, but nothing like this.. there is really something we've lost in the process of getting more 'perfect'.
Here is a digital shot at the very end of a long day of shooting. This shot represents more what the video ended up looking like. The video goes live in about two weeks so keep an eye out. The video is digital of course.. After seeing these though... I'm thinking baout getting some of my 8mm cameras out for the next video. We'll see
Thanks for reading! I'm [ezra vancil] Texas artist, writer and musician. If you want to hear a track of the unreleased album, 'You', you can download an early private release of 'Settle Down Good
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All images copyright Siouxsie Romack & Lovearchy Records