Ambient Cornish rock band Haunt The Woods have shared the video for their new single, ‘Amethyst’, ahead of their headline show at London’s Old Blue Last on the 10th September and their slot at Arctangent Festival this week.
With close-up shots of the band performing accentuating the track’s intimate sentiment, the video is a touching and emotive accompaniment to the expansive verses and explosive choruses which underpin singer Jonathan Stafford’s expressive vocals, reminiscent of Thom Yorke and Jeff Buckley.
“It’s easy to forget when you’re wrapped up in the world of music that at the end of the day you’re four mates playing instruments together, and this video is a very succinct representation of that,” explain the band. “We wanted the video to centre on the band and focus on the simple things. The studio shots were filmed at Maker, a place close to our hearts and key to the inception of Haunt the Woods, and directors Billy and Dom designed a gorgeous soft light with some nifty tricks with prisms giving those light leak effects you see.
“We think it’s nice to see a band being themselves, and that’s basically what happened when we went up to the Moors one evening… it’s fair to say that most of the tricks Olly pulls don’t make the cut!
“We knew early on that we wanted a light and darkness to reflect the lyrics in the song and to withdraw from any aspect of a narrative. The ending salvo includes footage from our headline show at Plymouth Pavilions Introduces in March, and the contrast against the simplicity of us being us celebrates what we’re all about – it’s also a bit of a reward for having to look at our faces for three minutes.”
Blending sounds from alternative, prog, folk and pop and channelling influences from the likes of Pink Floyd, Muse, Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver, Haunt The Woods have crafted a distinctive sound, glistening with ambient swells and underpinned by expressive rhythms and masterly songwriting.
The band released two EPs, The Line and Circle last year, and have performed at festivals including Glastonbury, Boardmasters and Port Elliot, as well as selling out a bi-monthly residency at Plymouth Barbican Theatre, and headlining Plymouth Pavilions ‘Introduces’ showcase.
The band have also performed a sold-out show at London’s St Pancras Old Church and supported a range of artists from the likes of Sunset Sons to KT Tunstall. Tickets for their headline show at London’s Old Blue Last on the 10th September are available here:http://bit.ly/OldBlueLastHTW