Synopsis
An older Los Angeles man prepares for what appears to be a hopeful date, traveling by subway and sharing an evening with a woman before taking her to a scenic overlook. Their quiet encounter is interrupted by a group of younger men whose aggression humiliates and unsettles him. Afterward, he returns alone to the overlook and confronts the group, turning a fragile romantic outing into a tense act of defiance and wounded pride.
Factoids & Trivia
- The central character is played by Jim Pallett, Owen Pallett's uncle. Jim is an actor living in Los Angeles, where the video is set.
- Owen Pallett said the story grew from his fear of growing older while continuing to struggle financially as a working musician. He saw parallels between the protagonist's life and his own creative career.
- Details such as the character's yoga practice, his transient lifestyle, and his use of public transportation were intended to suggest a creatively employed person living outside conventional stability.
- The video was released in February 2014 as an advance presentation of material from Pallett's album "In Conflict." The song also features a contribution from Brian Eno.
- Pallett described the song's musical design as beginning with a deliberately repetitive harmonic pattern before gradually expanding through descending bass and rising violins. He compared the effect to curtains slowly opening, a contrast to the video's increasingly confrontational drama.
- The production credits list Drew Bienemann for cinematography and Aditya Nair for editing.