Latvian indie band “The Coconuts” have released a new single and music video – a visual tale of a young man taking a trip on a train and in his mind simultaneously. The compelling look at minds' darkest corners is set on the backdrop of enchanting Nordic scenery and combines different art forms – music, contemporary dance, sculpture, and strong visual language.
"We never know what's going on in another person's head. Someone may look calm and all put-together, but can have a whole hurricane going down in their mind at the same time,” says Paula Pētersone, the director of the video.
Many of us experience anxiety and panic attacks, because of storing and hiding our emotions. We try so hard to bury the negative feelings, but the more we run away from them, the worse it gets. Until we burn out or break apart and everything that was buried deep down for so long comes out. It was this exploding breaking-point moment that we tried to embody in the video, inviting everyone to stop running away from yourself, acknowledge that there are problems, and start solving them.
The lead role of the video is played by the dancer and choreographer Marģers Vanags, who had to go through several extreme experiences – sink underwater, get buried in the peat fields, stare into the eyes of a burning statue and make a headstand on a riding train. "The Coco'nuts" band members are also riding in the imaginary train wagon playing different characters. At the end of the video, a wooden statue made by the band's bassist Toms Valmiers is burned – as a symbol that sometimes you have to say goodbye to your old self in order to move forward.
This is the third single from “The Coco'nuts” upcoming studio album “Forward Back”, which will be released in spring 2022. The video was created by a creative team together with video artist and cameraman Daniels Veiss, written and directed by Paula Pētersone, produced by Anna Pētersone, and mixed and mastered by Toms Lisments.
The Coco’nuts consists of six musicians and creative souls united by friendship and music since 2012. Their songs are characterized by strong, dark and powerful lead vocals, bold improvisation, ever-changing melodies and plenty of instruments. They describe themselves as follows: “We’re like Latvian rasols — a sausage-potato salad that fills you up and has a bit of everything in it: alternative jazz, indie, blues rock and funk. We truly believe our sound is unique but we might remind you of Bahamas, Regina Spektor, Erykah Badu, Corinne Bailey Rae, Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings. But we only mentioned these because our manager told us to!”
The Coco’nuts have released an EP Appetizer (2014) and two studio albums Amid Opposites (2016) and “No Other Way Out”(*2018). Their third studio album Forward Back is due in spring 2022.