Saam Farahmand's poetic video ode to escape, with your new favourite country singer
Many people last year scrolled through music blogs.
A few of them found an artist called Daughn Gibson.
All of these found something in his music they needed.
A story too good not to be true, a voice too true to not heal, Daughn was brought up in the woods of Pennsylvania. He grew up drumming in punk and hardcore bands, but his day-and-night job of long-distance truck driving kindled a love of odd electronica. Finding a stoic, graceful midpoint between Burial and the country of his homeland, his debut album All Hell was a revelation – heart-breaking tales of love and loss over slide-synths with a baritone straight from some lost highway, this was music to help, aid and never lose.
One of those people who felt like falling in love with Daughn Gibson's music was Saam Farahmand. One of his generation's most creative music video directors, he approached Daughn with an idea – an open ended music video inspired by the songs of All Hell.
Just as Daughn's music works by approaching 21st century techniques with old-as-the-woods ideas of the people's music, Another Hell, showing above, is a portrait of a dramatic awakening.
Saam's website has just launched, and you can watch his film above or over there, while Daughn himself has a new album due on Sub Pop the month after next.
How did Another Hell come about?
In 2012, Milo Cordell from Merok Records introduced me to Daughn's music and I fell in love with songs from, 'All Hell'. I couldn't stop listening to it, and learning about him. I was obsessed with his backstory and his dark ballads, and as a concept and image he was the most exciting artist I had come across in a long time. He was like Marlon Brando, Henry Rollins, Lee Hazelwood and Jim Morrison, all at the same time. I was in LA and I just contacted Daughn to ask him if I could make a video for his music, a kind of portrait interpretation.
The more time I spent with him and his music, the more obsessed i became by the idea of a conflicted character who was good and bad at the same time. Alot of people around me were waking up and escaping bad places and destroying these places in the process (companies, relationships, living situations). It was just something in the air that combined with his music into a short narrative, with Daughn as a muse for its intentions. I was also excited about the idea of an artist to appear out of the blue in this way. That magic time at the beginning of an artists journey is something you can never get back. Having said that, Daughn's new material is going to be so exciting and different to this. I really can't wait to see where he goes next.
There was a scene where Daughn beats the hell out of furniture with his bare fists, to contain sexual compulsions. His hands were cut up and shaking at the end. It was the most frightened I have ever seen my crew.
How was Daughn to work with?
Daughn is such a soulful and sensitive person, and he grew very dear to me very quickly. He was very brave and committed despite never having been on set before. There was a scene which I cut from the edit where Daughn beats the hell out of furniture with his bare fists, to contain sexual compulsions. His hands were cut up and shaking at the end. It was the most frightened I have ever seen my crew. Daughn makes me proud to be a part of his journey.
Where was it shot?
On the outskirts of California.
Where did you get the gun?
I'm not really supposed to talk about the gun.
When are you going to make a feature film?
I think I have been waiting until I learned enough to be ready. I have been developing something at glacial pace for the last few years, I hope I have the strength to make it happen, I just have to force myself not to be excited about anything else until it is done!
Credits
Starring
DAUGHN GIBSON
SCARLETT-ROSE-PATERSON
NICK D'AVIRRO
ELLEN PAIGE
MARIELLA D'AVIRRO
LISA CHAISE
Featuring music from 'ALL HELL' BY DAUGHN GIBSON
VFX Supervision MARTIN KARLSSON AT THE MILL
Editor TOM LINDSAY
Cinematography LARKIN SIEPLE
Art direction CYNTHIA LEDA
Wardrobe ANGIE THOMAS
Hair and make-up PHOEBE DAWSON
Sound design GUNNAR OSKARSSON
Produced by NATHAN ATKINSON
Directed by SAAM FARAHMAND