So, once again, me and Sarah Larnach (my best friend and artist; the lady behind every single piece of Ladyhawke artwork don'tcha know) joined forces and came up with the creative concept for the Magic video. Sarah was kind enough to go on a rant of epic proportions to explain how we came up with and executed the whole thing.
x.o.x
Lady-H
Sarah Larnach talks Magic:
Earlier this year, I crashed Pip's holiday in Los Angeles, so that we could conceive the music video. Amidst the distraction of the Santa Monica Pier fun park, Hollywood vegetarian restaurants, and the comfort of air-con' hotel rooms and the C.I. channel (Crime & Investigation network), we puzzled over how best to represent the song and the spirit it was written in.
As per usual, our current and classic obsessions dominated the creative process. We looked at loads of film clips from the early days of cinema, taxidermy animals and natural history museum diorama displays, creepy trees that Tim Burton might like, and all sorts of harmless-yet-scary iconography.
One point that were we sure of was that the 'journey' referred to in the song was as much of a 'mystic summoning', as it was of a 'physical' voyage. With a hint of mysticism in mind, and a whole lot of darkness as the objective, we also wanted to figure out a new way of using my artwork for a Ladyhawke music video.
My Delirium was a great success, and an amazing project to make, but both being obsessively creative, we weren't satisfied to use the same production methods. So, referring to the early film production and dioramas we'd been looking at, and a particular hand drawn Broadway set for Dracula from the 1970's, we hoped that we could make a scaled-up set from my drawings to create a world for Ladyhawke to journey through.
When we were steered to look at the films Shelly Love had directed, Pip and I were really thrilled and shared a very positive intuition that Shelly would interpret this video in a very beautiful and dark way, as is her style. Me and Pip came up with the creative concept and we kept a fairly tight reign on the art direction of the clip, but at some point you have to hand over some control to the director and her production team.
I dig the results.
Go see more of Sarah Larnach's work; visit her blog, and be sure to become a fan on Facebook. You'll find other music videos and short films directed by Shelly Love at her website here: www.shellylove.co.uk.
December 03: On the 18th of November I played a stripped back acoustic set to London's Union Chapel for a Jo Whiley Little Noise Session. As well as my acoustic guitar, I had a full classical band with me .. cello player, upright bass player and a pianist
Apologies for the crap filming, the camera man had had a few beers at the pub beforehand!
See it below or watch it in a new window here.
October 30: A bit about the My Delirium video..
[You can see the video below all my ramblings or go to YouTube and watch it!]
On the 22nd of September, the day my album was released in the UK,I shot the video for my song My Delirium, which is my next single.
I wrote the song a year and a half ago after days of no sleep due to terrible jetlag. I felt like I was going out of my mind. I was missing my friends and family back home, and I was basically living to hear my phone ring in hope that it would be one of them calling. So my delirium came out of me thinking I was going crazy from lack of sleep!
I always knew this song had the potential for a really imaginative video, considering the general theme of the song is me going crazy. So when I read the treatment sent in by the Frater guys, a duo of London based directors who specialise inanimation, I knew it was the one!
Basicallyit had been written around the idea that my best friend Sarah Larnach, who doesall my artwork, was to illustrate the video, along with the frater guys.
So she came over all the way from Sydney to crash on my couch for a month and spend every day painting pictures for the video!
Benji Davies and Jim Field (otherwise known as frater) were really lovely guys and very easy to work with.
The idea of the video is that I'm hauled up in a hotel room, on the roadside in themiddle of the Arizona desert.
There are two paintings on the wall above the bed, and as my head starts to get foggier, the pictures start to come to life, and I end up inside the paintings, driving in a muscle car down the desert, my suitcase in the back, going somewhere which ends up being outer-space..... after flying over the edge of a cliff. Everyday kinda stuff ya know?
It's filled with beautiful water colour back-grounds, and washed out psychedelic painted space scenes.
We shot a day of live action which roughly went from 8am till about 9 or 10pm. It was all the scenes of me in the hotel room, and me driving the car. The hotel set was built in a studio, and huge attention to detail was paid to make it look as close to American road-side motel as possible. Old clocks, dressers,lamps, light fittings etc. It was a lot of fun to shoot, and the least stressful and turned out to be my favourite video so far.
To check out more of Sarah's artwork, check out her myspace at www.myspace.com/sarahlarnach and to take a look at some other work done by the Frater guys check out their website: www.fraterfilms.com.
I hope you guys all enjoy the video!
Ladyhawke
x
October 08: My First UK headline Tour!!
It was such a blast, thank you to everyone in each town I played
that came out and supported me. I was blown away by how nice
everyone was!!!
My first stop was Brighton which is always a pleasure to play in. I love
that place. Its easily somewhere I could see myself living. I love being by the
sea.
The show was nerve wracking - as always - but I really enjoyed it.
About 6 years ago I got a gibson firebird (the symbol of which I have tattooed on
the underside of my wrist) it was my favorite guitar. I also have a gibson
explorer - anyway, when I moved over to London I only took my fender tele
because it was smaller and lighter to travel with.
I have missed my firebird so much ever since. The tone is incredible.
The reason I have randomly broken into this little story is because I got a brand
new Firebird and the show I christened it at was the Brighton show!!!
Next up was the Cockpit in Leeds - that show was awesome!! It was really packed and
people seemed to be having a good time. It was my first time in Leeds so I was really
stoked to be somewhere new!
I sat around the corner from the venue in a pub with friends and had a few pints of
Guinness before the gig. Which was a good move because it really warmed the cockles.
It was absolutely pouring with rain that day and really really cold!!
We then drove to Scotland, first stop Glasgow, second stop Edinburgh.
FIRST TIME IN SCOTLAND!!!!
ABC2 was the name of the venue in Glasgow I played at. My name was even up on the board
outside the venue in big letters! ooo0000ooooh.
We then drove to Edinburgh and had 2 nights there which was great. It was cool to have a day
off to look around for once!
My sister lived there for a year so it was cool to see all the places she'd told me about!
I met some really lovely people at the gig there, it was at Cabaret Voltaire which is kinda
underground and was apparently some kind of old dungeon. It totally looked like one.
A great venue, I really recommend checking it out if you're ever in Edinburgh.
By the time we arrived in Manchester, all the driving had totally kicked my ass and I was feeling a tad
under the weather.
While the guys went to the pub by the hotel, met some of the locals, and literally drank the pub dry,
I stayed in bed and watched tv!! (boring I know!!!)
The following night was the gig at the Roadhouse!
It was my second time playing there. The first time there were about 20 people there, this time it
was sold out!!! I couldn't believe it!!
The audience were great, and the people at the roadhouse were really sweet. Its a cool venue
to play at. Except there are lots of low lying beams and things to hit your head on if you're a clutz -
which I am - so of course I hit my head like three times when I was there!!!!
Then to Birmingham for the second to last show of the tour!
It was at a pub called the Rainbow which was so cool. Out the back was kinda like a semi
outdoor type area for bands to play. Then at the front it was a proper pub. Heaps of
couches and comfy chairs to sit in! I enjoyed this place a lot.
The bands that supported me were awesome too. I had a really enjoyable night and met loads
of awesome people.
Finally the Scala in London!
Which sold out!!
I was completely dumbfounded by this and spent the entire show with a goofy grin on my face.
And seemed to have no control over the weird things I'd say over the microphone-!! I even gave a running commentary on the tuning of my guitar!!
The Evil 9 supported me as well as my friends from Sydney, The Mercy Arms. Who are an
incredible band. I have their album, its brilliant.
I definitely cracked the champagne after that show. It was an amazing way to end the tour and I was
so happy with all support from people.
:-) September 08: I wanted to make a video for fun, using webcams and a bunch of friends.
Not the most original idea, but it was a good time. This is the result!
I just want to thank everyone who took time out to make a video for me. It is much appreciated!
Thanks to: Jen Rea. Peaches and Cole Yaverbaum. JD Samson. Sia. Adam, Michael and Lucas Smoothfoot. Dev and Louise Hynes. Soko. Emily and Danny White. Ryan Simpson. Tom De Borst. Sarah Larnach. Kirin J Callinan. Connan Hosford. Nikky Brinkman. Frank and Mum.
Filmed by everyone.
Edited by Jen Rea.
Enjoy!
Ladyhawke x
August 28: Ladyhawke - Japan August 2008 Tour Video Blog
So a couple of weeks ago I went to Japan to play summersonic in Tokyo! It was my first time there and I absolutely loved it!!
I stayed in Akasaka, which is a real short walk to heaps of cool shops and restaurants. We had a couple of days off before playing summersonic so gotta see a bit of the city. It was mind blowing seeing all the bright lights and massive billboards and stuff.
The show was good. We had some major technical problems quite early on in the set which was really embarrassing, but once they got fixed the set went really well! The crowd was awesome, I cant wait to go back!!! :-D
here's my tour diary for it!
August 12: Ladyhawke - Video Diary Six
Behind the Scenes: Dusk Till Dawn Music Video
July 30: Disneyland!!!.. another video blog!
I went to L.A a couple of weeks ago to film my video for
dusk till dawn which is gonna be my next single.
I stayed in Santa Monica, which is really beautiful - and also
near where Baywatch was filmed [I think] haha.
I have a few mates there which is awesome.
Coincidentally it was my birthday when I was over there so
to celebrate me and some friends went to Disneyland!!!!!
It was soooo much fun :-)
Anyway heres a video diary for a snippet of my time in L.A.
Special appearance by my old friend from NZ Maz who's
living over there at the mo :-)
Enjoy!!
Lady-H
x x x
..and me with Mickey and a hotdog at the happiest place on earth:
July 18: Ladyhawke - Video Diary Four [Paris/London]
July 08: Ladyhawke - Video Diary Three [Glastonbury]
June 24: Video Diary number 2!! IBIZA!!!!
So I went to Ibiza to play the Ibiza Rocks thing.
Here's my video diary for it!!
It was heaps of fun, really hot!!!
Me, my band and my tour manager stayed at the Ibiza
Rocks hotel which was pretty sweetl! Heaps of trashed people
everywhere though. It was my first time in Ibiza and I didn't
realize it was so full of completely wasted people!! No matter
what time of day!! haha, it was pretty funny. Its not exactly
somewhere you go to relax and chill out.
I hope you enjoy my second tour diary!
thanks for looking!
lots of love
Ladyhawke
x x x
June 10: Okay so, I have started doing video diary things.
My mate follows me around with a small camera sometimes..
Probably kinda boring, but I thought instead of always writing
blogs I could do a video type thing so people could check out
what I get up to and kinda see a little bit of my personality.......
I'll try and put one up in my blog section as much as I can.
This first one is just a quick glimpse at some interview and photo
shit I got up to last week. I had a real bad cold, and am not very
good at interviews. But, yeah, here it is!!
