Synopsis
A solitary young man moves through a dim apartment, staring out of a window and appearing increasingly unsettled. His quiet isolation gives way to sudden, destructive violence as he kicks through a wall. The damage opens onto an unexpected, dreamlike image, shifting the video from claustrophobic realism into something surreal and majestic. Eagle imagery and stark visual contrasts deepen the song's meditation on mortality, transformation, and the uneasy connection between death and love.
Factoids & Trivia
- The video accompanies "Who The Waves Are Roaring For (Hunted II)," a track from Colin Stetson's 2013 album *New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light*.
- Justin Vernon of Bon Iver wrote and performed the vocals, while Stetson composed and performed the music.
- Stetson said the visual approach was not a direct illustration of the lyrics, but that it connected strongly with the record's ideas about the relationship between death and love.
- Stetson conceived the eagle as an angel-of-death figure. Rather than presenting death as a grim or frightening force, he wanted the image to feel contemplative, beautiful, and majestic.
- The production credits list Ryan Kron Thompson as director of photography and Yasuhiro Nagata for additional cinematography.
- The video's surreal centerpiece involved a specially designed "mirror throne," credited to Kerry Dikken and Blasted Art.
- The track was released on April 30, 2013, and the video appeared shortly afterward as part of the album's promotional campaign.