When words fail, symbolism takes over. And West Vancouver indie poppers Focus Your Audio know a thing or two about symbolism, having just filmed a video that proves its emotional power in a stunning 360 degrees.
Their clip for “The Long Goodbye” is an extended visual metaphor for the ravages of dementia, as represented by a living room that’s progressively being stripped of its contents. Band members Sarah Stewart and Bobby McAloney perform the song’s poignant lamentation while the camera spins slowly around them; each time it completes another cycle; more knick-knacks and pieces of furniture are missing. All the while, the lighting grows dimmer, like a mind slowly losing track of its inventory. Amid that unfolding portrait of involuntary surrender, Stewart’s repeated refrain acts like a plea against the inevitable: “Stay with me tonight.”
The Long Goodbye
The song was inspired by a real woman Stewart once knew: a single mother who graduated from med school at age 60, only to herself be diagnosed with the scourge of mental decline. But the sentiments expressed in the tune and video apply to a multitude of cases, including ones Stewart encountered in her former job as a nurse:
"Every time I listen to this song, it’s like the first time,” she says. “I go through all of the emotions of watching loved ones empty themselves over and over again in the walking out of their own long goodbye." Listen on Spotify here: open.spotify.com/album/5OYCtn1kRULdoQUNww8DnM
Filmed at QuestCoast Studios in Richmond, BC, and written and directed by Cheyenne Rouleau, the video was captured in one take, thanks to some painstakingly applied ingenuity. The camera made three full rotations around the room while the set crew furtively removed furniture, paintings, rugs, and other symbols of a life well lived. A fake wall was created so the team could take large pieces of furniture through and close it quickly before the camera panned by again.
“Everyone needed to learn their places,” the band says. “And like a dance, each of us moved through the space, catching the camera at the right moment, with the right changes to the room, with the right lighting, not capturing an extra foot or casting a shadow on the wall in the frame.”
Behind-The-Scenes
The group took equal care with the recording of the song itself, which was done at Vancouver’s Studio Y and Hipposonic Recording Studio under the watchful supervision of producer/engineer Mike Young (bassist for Mother Mother). The sparse arrangement spotlights Stewart’s hauntingly beautiful vocals and McAloney’s acoustic guitar, with cellist Peggy Lee adding an extra dimension of gravitas. (Other musicians the duo is currently working with include Jaron Chidiac on rhythm guitar, Richardo Germain on piano and keyboards, Calvin Dumont on bass guitar and Mike Allain on drums and percussion.)
"The Long Goodbye" is the latest empathic triumph for Focus Your Audio since they burst on the Canadian music scene In 2019 with their debut EP. Since then, their singles "Shades," "Over There" and "On Your Own" have racked up a total of over 300,000 streams. The group’s music has also been featured on the Spotify playlist for the Netflix film The Half of It, and "On Your Own" garnered global attention when Swedish DJ/record producer StoneBridge (Ne-Yo, Beyonce) remixed the single for play on his on SiriusXM BPM Mix channel.
Media attention has included positive profiles in outlets like Canadian Music Week, The Georgia Straight and Aesthetic Magazine. On the live front, the band has shared the stage with the likes of Tobias the Owl, Samantha Martin and Delta Sugar, while polishing their in-concert presentation at Vancouver’s The Railway Club and Calgary’s Ironwood Stage. Communing with their fans in intimate settings is how they know a song is connecting, and “The Long Goodbye” is the latest and perhaps greatest proof.
"When we perform this song live, the room goes quiet, and we can see tears in the audience’s eyes," Stewart says. "We know they’re relating it to their own lives."
And now, thanks to the video, they can have that experience in the comfort of their own living room. Which might just look like the band’s. Either way, guard those knick-knacks and cherish those precious memories, because not every “Goodbye” is this sweet.
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