The healing catharsis of Sarah Mary Chadwick’s music
How did you first come into contact with Sarah Mary Chadwick's music?
My dear friend, artist & musician Georgia Kirtland, turned me on to Sarah’s record The Queen Who Stole The Sky. The first time I put it on I felt exposed, as if someone had tapped into my inner monologue, made it beautiful and shared it with the world. Sarah’s raw vulnerability, in the powerful way she commands her voice, singing lyrics that are all at once heartbreaking, witty, and horny, made me an instant massive fan.
What came next? How did you get in touch with her?
Once I heard this new song, “When Will Death Come” I sent Sarah an Instagram DM and begged and pleaded for her to let me make a video for it. We ended up really hitting it off. We have a very similar sensibility, a love for the absurd, probably a common greater sadness.
«I like to think of it as an ode to the movie The Hours.»
For someone who hasn't seen the film yet, how do you describe the story, what is it about?
I like to think of it as an ode to the movie The Hours. Where three emotional arcs happen simultaneously but unrelated to one another. My initial idea was to have three completely individual set ups and stories but the budget didn’t really allow for it so we placed them all in one location which I think actually ended up working out for the best.
What was particularly important to you in the realization of the Music Video?
The most important thing to me was to honor the intention of Sarah and her music. I also didn’t want to make something completely a downer. I wanted to end it with a little bit of hope.
«Everyone that came out to work on it did so for free.»
Then, what was it like on set, during the shooting?
We had a very, very low budget. Everyone that came out to work on it did so for free and were good friends of mine. We had the best time shooting it for that reason. Everyone was happy to be there and be a part of what we were making. It felt like being a kid and playing with friends putting on a show. It was a really happy day for me.
What does Sarah's music mean to you?
In my life I have struggled with a variety of stages of depression and sadness. Thoughts of suicide have been a part of that. At times with a sense of humor about it as a break from the mundane, at others a very serious thought as the only sensible option to feel better.
«Everyone is going through so much more than the surface can allow.»
For this video I wanted to tap into the notion of “When Will Death Come” from a variety of perspectives, I think most of us have been there in one way or another, broken past our point of accepting the life that we face. Everyone is going through so much more than the surface can allow. Few of us are so lucky to get to express it in our art. May we treat one another with tenderness and tip your servers very well. I hope everyone gets the healing catharsis that the art of Sarah Mary Chadwick has given me.
