Picking up the pace from his most heartfelt folk released to date, Whangarei native and Melbourne dweller Tom Lee-Richards has arrived with ‘Beside You‘, a new track for those who want to move and celebrate being open in the moment.
‘Beside You‘ is another collaboration with producer Countbounce (Jarryd James, Ash Grunwald), which began with the 2015 release of debut single ‘The Wearing Kind’. Contrasting with the sparse weight of 2016’s ‘Madness’, the music video for which screened at the Auckland International Film Festival, Beside You’s elevating rhythms and unusual synth melodies reinforce an inviting lyrical story about connection. It shows another side of Tom Lee-Richard’s material and gives as hint at what can be expected on the forthcoming debut mini-album due for release late 2017.
The video for Beside You (above) was directed by Lachlan Dickie who is renowned for his highly crafted commercials and music video work for Cut Copy, Miami Horror and Architecture in Helsinki. Dickie not only creates a bold and imaginative visual to accompany Tom’s own abstract way of song writing, but also expertly utilizes the expansive landscape of Otago, New Zealand to embolden the sense of gravitas within the song and to create a dystopian future world.
Of the video, Tom Lee-Richards explains, “The video explores connection in odd situations, in this case an almost real love affair with a life-sized future doll and the drama between a couple in a teenage motocross gang. Inspired by films like ‘LA GUERRE DU FEU’, a French dialogue free feature film about cavemen, Lachlan the director asks what kind of relationships would exist within a devolved civilisation. Even if we have progressed incredibly and have conquered mortality, I wonder what kind of strange world will be left to experience.”
The new single is one of two tracks to be lifted from the forthcoming mini-album. Following a UK + EU tour, Tom will also be back late 2017 to tour our NZ homeland.
Listen to ‘Beside You’ through Spotify, Bandcamp and purchase through iTunes.