Following the release of his new single ‘Thought I’d Go Home‘, alternative ambient folk artist Joel Harkin has dropped a new video into our laps for a first look.
‘Thought I’d Go Home’ was released as part of the Scratch My Progress programme and was given a spin on BBC Radio 1 on Sunday. Its place on Phil Taggart’s Chillest Show seems apt, with the song’s tender portrait of Harkin’s late four-legged friend Memphis. Infused with the songwriter’s preeminent alt-country flourishes, ‘Thought I’d Go Home’ teeters towards sadness as Harkin opens up, but the comforting tones feel like the warm bath in the lyrics.
The video, premiered here today, paints a similar picture. Homemade and lovely, it depicts Joel Harkin and partner Deirdre in bed with a book, singing their way through the single.
I wrote the song after my wee dog Memphis passed away last year. In the song I’m reflecting on our time together and how she made it easier to be at home through difficult times. And whether or not I was good enough for her, like she was perfect, and I don’t know that I was good enough.
The video is very simple! I don’t have a proper video camera and my laptop is from 2008 and it canny really handle editing video so I shot and edited the whole thing on my smartphone. Deirdre and I like Wes Anderson films so I tried to have the video doing that symmetrical thing that happens but obviously I couldn’t see the screen when I was in the bed so I’m not really where I’m supposed to be. We just did one take because after I watched the footage back I just thought it was lovely! Seems to have good flow and stuff so aye we left it at that! It doesn’t mean anything, it’s not a metaphor for something else its just myself and Deirdre in our bed reading our books and being cute!
Joel Harkin
