Alt country, noir-folk melded to alternative pop, Northern Rivers artist Stephanie Cherote reveals another layer from her forthcoming studio album 'Some Holy Longing' (released 1 April), with the lush, dramatic new single 'Flightless Crow'.
A soundscape that evokes imagery of 1950s-'60s westerns and Ennio Morricone's mesmerising soundtracks, there's a searing intensity simmering below the surface of the music that fuels Stephanie's passioned vocals, her lyrics interrogating her conditional existence backed by a 12-piece orchestral arrangement courtesy of Brian Trahan."'Flightless Crow' was written during a big revelation I was having at the time," begins Stephanie.
"As females we learn to pre-empt and appease misguided male conduct, which often lands us in a situation where we have to explain ourselves, prove ourselves, validate our worth beyond the extent of our appeal to men.
"The song delves into the multiple battles of confusion I've fought my way through to try and eradicate delusion from a man's perception of me, and of women in general."
Ahead of the release of 'Flightless Crow' tomorrow (17 March), scenestr is delighted to premiere the song's music video today. Enjoy.
Filmed by Ilsa Wynne-Hoelscher Kidd, the music video was shot entirely on Super 8 film, but processed in a more considered way that offers an aesthetic that leans into earlier styles of cinema.
"I wanted the music film to capture the quietly imprisoned trance-state that a woman is often in when she is existing in the shadows or in the periphery of a man's awareness," Stephanie shares.
"The tired and degraded woman – unseen beyond her physical stamp in the dynamic. It's an infuriating existence, it breeds an internal rage.
"The change, of course, occurs when the woman decides to show up. In the song, the showing up comes through by a major lift in the chord progression and in the film, it is where colour is introduced."
Adds Ilsa: "When Stephanie approached me to create a visual story in line with her captivating and orchestral track, 'Flightless Crow', I had the strong urge to step back in time aesthetically to explore the themes presented within the work.
"The music is large, so the visuals in a way had to represent that impact but also create space for it stylistically.
"Symbolism, mise en scene, tension and careful storyboarding played large roles in the development of this film.
"I wanted to represent a dynamic and emotional arc, rather than strict characters, to allow audiences to draw their own connection to Stephanie's moving lyrics and songwriting.
"The mood of the piece is one that travels and elevates as we journey with the female's exploration and mindset that spirals. It is ideally a story that is timeless, place-less and identity-less, a story that stands on its own."
