Back in March, we pad the pleasure of premiering “Winterlude” from Perth-based New Zealand songwriter Damien Binder, and today we’re equally thrilled to be bringing you the video premiere for his latest single, “I Can’t Believe My Mind”.
Following his 2023 album Bright Side, 2024’s Heartful EP and this year’s “Winterlude”, Binder continues a rich run of songwriting with a track that leans into upbeat, hook-filled guitar pop. “I Can’t Believe My Mind” rides on crunchy power-pop guitars, handclaps, organ and a chorus that quickly burrows its way in. Beneath that bright exterior, however, Binder is exploring the less reliable workings of our own thoughts and the trouble they can cause.
As Binder explains:
“The song deals with those voices we sometimes hear in our heads telling us things that aren’t necessarily true, which leads to believing things that aren’t true and creating all sorts of trouble”.
The song’s distinctive guitar style also came about through unexpected circumstances. Before Christmas last year, Binder tore a ligament in a finger on his fretting hand, leaving him able to play guitar with only two fingers for six months. Forced to rely heavily on power chords and fifths, the limitation ultimately opened up a different approach to his playing and helped shape the riff-driven feel of “I Can’t Believe My Mind”.
For the accompanying video, Binder has again teamed up with director and editor Jonathan King, who also directed the video for “Winterlude”. This time, King takes the song into a suitably surreal visual world. Drawing inspiration from David Lynch’s Twin Peaks and Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, the clip plays with darker, slightly unsettling imagery while maintaining a streak of humour that fits neatly with the upbeat nature of the song.
Binder explains how the clip came together:
“A good friend kindly lent me access to a studio with a green screen and lights, and Nicole (my wife) and I shot the sync of me singing on my iPhone. Director Jonathan King (who recently wrapped Black Sheeps, the sequel to his Kiwi cult classic Black Sheep, due for release Oct 14th, 2026) put together the rest of the clip. The video pays homage to some of his film favourites, like David Lynch’s *Twin Peaks* and Hitchcock’s *Vertigo*. We decided on juxtaposing these darker elements with some light humour, which reflects the overall upbeat nature of the song.”
That juxtaposition works beautifully. The clip takes the anxieties and unreliable thoughts sitting beneath the lyrics and gives them a playful, cinematic twist, without losing the warmth and infectious energy at the heart of the track. It’s a cracking video. Everytime you watch it, something new pops up. It is beautifully put together, with a classic nostalgic feel to it.
“I Can’t Believe My Mind” was produced and mixed by Matt Gio at Studio Delle Nonna in Fremantle, with mastering by William Bowden at King Willy Studios in Launceston.
We’re thrilled to premiere the video for Damien Binder’s “I Can’t Believe My Mind” today. Check it out below.
You can follow Damien Binder on his official website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Spotify
