The world feels like it’s ending. But as long as we breathe, there is much to appreciate about life. At least that’s the message from the former frontman of Owenstone, Nathan Owen. He has been working on a solo project, and today’s premiere will add to a short list of new singles available now. It continues his mission to bring hope to people who need it through cerebral musicianship; watch the video for new track “The Things We Left Below,” exclusively on Grimy Goods.
Though the landscape in the clip seems to reflect the internal turmoil of (decent) Americans everywhere, it was actually inspired by a trip to New Orleans. Owen directs all his music videos, given his experience as an actor and set designer; for “Things We Left,” he wanted to avoid a months-long shoot and managed to arrange a small crew to expedite it. The result is a short film that doesn’t cower in the face of defeat.
Abandoned spaces conjure a curious unease, which resonates with Owen soft-industrial sounds. Like the best movie scores, the song fades in with a low, moody synthesizer. Buzzing guitars introduce the meat of the instrumentation, including tapping percussion and marimba accents. The video follows a pair of survivors (played by Owen and Julia Kwamya of the band Germans), frolicking in a derelict factory as if it were a playground. Dissonance sets in, reminding of the horrors that led to the post-apocalyptic scene where our characters find themselves, but there is always hope leading us out of the dark. Because even as the world falls apart, we still have the love of friends, family, and dogs.
Follow Nathan Owen on Instagram.
