Ash Santilla is the former frontman of Melbourne indie rock band 67 Special, and is currently working up to release his debut album, The Darker Side of Up. In June, he released the opening track and first single, “Nightcrawler”, and today we have the pleasure of premiering the second single, the cathartic and gripping “Belt and Buckle”, ahead of its release on Thursday.
The song expertly explores the intricate dynamics of devotion and the vulnerability that can emerge in relationships. “Buckle and Belt” is built upon rich and raw vocals and electric guitar, with harmonies from Olivia Bartley adding a gospel feel. With some lovely keys and a grandness reminiscent of Nick Cave, this is lush, soulful and poetic.
Ash might not have written many love songs, but he has nailed it in “Buckle and Belt”. About the track, he writes: “It’s about a person who claims he’d be everything he could for his partner, ‘the buckle, the stitching of her sharpest pant leg, the neck of her longest red dress’, but almost disclaims his devotion with a waiver that he, or his mind, may wander, and so this ‘devotion’ is ambiguous,” he explains. “In the chorus, there’s an implication that she, the heroine, knows more than she makes out. So really, both protagonists are aware of the frailty of the connection they have, because of the lead character’s implied inability to be completely committed and to not “get blown by the wind.”
The video is beautifully shot, capturing the essence of the song. About the video, Ash shared with the AU: “We filmed the clip in the Queenscliff Town Hall, which is a beautiful old building. It’s 150 years old. You could feel the history inside the hall; it was a special place.
I had met with Jarrod Boord (Streamline Media), who is my director prior, and we decided to film myself playing to the empty hall. We wanted to incorporate a female character in the clip but decided to use a mannequin, the idea being that the relationship between the writer and the subject be quite ambiguous, as in the song somewhat. The song sings of a character wanting to give everything to the other person, but it is implied that he or his mind may wander, and no promises can be made. There are very few in-focus shots of the mannequin for this reason.
Jarrod managed to fly his drone in the hall, in and out of the great chandeliers, and around me, as if we had larger and more cumbersome equipment.
We worked fast and had the clip in the can in three hours. Working with Jarrod is so great as he works so fast and efficiently. Just the way I like it.”
It was worth the acrobatics – it’s a wonderful clip. Enjoy this premiere, ahead of its release on Thursday.
You can give Ash Santilla a follow on Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, Youtube, and Bandcamp
Photos supplied by the artist
