by shauna hilferty
photo by jane silverstein
Alt-rock, New York based, three piece SLMBR is excited to release their first ever music video for their single “Waking Nightmare.” The song, which appears second on their debut EP Endless Daydream, highlights feeling stuck in the mundane. This is not only portrayed lyrically and instrumentally, but in the video as well through its varying locations and colors. The video features drummer Kristian White, bassist John Africano, and lead singer and guitarist, Nick Sossi Romano who also directed the production.
I was able to get some more insight into SLMBR’s vision and inspiration on both the video and song. Check out the interview below!
Congratulations on the release of your first ever music video for "Waking Nightmare!" Can you give us SLMBR's take on the inspiration for the video?
SLMBR: “Our inspiration for the video was a combination of all of our conversations about the music and what we resonate with: it's a personal journey, a full expression of self. I wrote this song two years ago, but I feel like it's just as relevant to my life now, and the release of pure energy that the video gave us is just what this year and this song really needs. I hope people think the video is cool, but I also hope people really see how much this song means to us.”
There are a couple different filming locations in the video, like the bedroom shoot, the water, and the slo-mo paint scene. How did you choose these and what symbolism do they have in regards to the song?
S: “For our first video, and with a song with ‘nightmare’ in the title, we knew we wanted to do some form of sleep/bedroom imagery. Just hanging out and performing the song in a bedroom was just the vibe of the song, both for how it was written and how it sounds. Adding all of the notebook drawings was an aesthetic that we carried over from some of the early concepts for the song. For the paint, I [Nick] loved the idea of something consuming me over the course of the video, something beautiful, but sinister. Paint was the safest and most interesting looking option. And with the doors on the water... I don't know how I came up with that. I knew that I wanted doors and windows in the video because they are mentioned in the song, but just floating on doors is such a ‘dream’ thing and I wanted us to feel like we were in a place devoid of time and space. In my mind, all of the locations coexist in this dream world, in some way or another.”
What is your favorite lyric in "Waking Nightmare" and why?
Nick: “My favorite lyric in the song is ‘I can't remember my own face/In a world I don't appreciate’ because it's kinda the core of the song to me. It's this fight between reality and the subconscious and how to be one person and think about yourself as another. The identity crisis and fear of self is why I like that line so much, in a melancholy way.”
John: “Mine is ‘every window's bound to break,’ my reasoning being that fragile, transparent things are easily broken; in order to truly become strong, sacrifices have to be made, including concealing emotions and enduring hardships.”
Kristian: “‘Keep it dark, I’ll find a way to reinvent the outer space.’ I like it because it reminds me to look within before searching for an outside source for comfort and sanity.”
It is not easy to accurately capture the feeling of isolation both metaphorically and physically. And during unprecedented times, turning to art and music is more necessary than ever. “Waking Nightmare” highlights aspects we tend to suppress for the band and listener, making for one hell of a cathartic listening and viewing experience.