Maps & Atlases have released a clip for the track ‘Solid Ground’ from their recent, wonderful release Perch Patchwork. It’s a brilliant album from front to back, one I’ve been meaning to do a full review of for a while now. The video places the band member strewn about a grey forest, each performing alone till night falls and everything is consumed with colorful projections as they play together. It was directed by Taryn Gould and Emily Kowalczyk, who recently helmed a clip for fellow Barsuk-ians Ra Ra Riot.

From the directors:

Many things appear solid that are not. We wanted to play with this uncertainty so we placed Dave in the middle of a small lake in a yellow canoe lined with soil. He’s created a little faux island for himself, isolated and protected himself so he thinks. As Dave sings his first verse the band gathers around the edges of the lake and it becomes clear that they don’t intend to leave him be. Instead they use the intricate melody and rhythms of the song to push pull and rock his boat in an attempt to lure him to shore. Eventually all of this musical mayhem crests and Dave’s boat is left spinning melodramatically into the night, even the water loses track of its physical properties and seems to disappear, diminishing the once sweeping space and allowing the band to close in on Dave and get him to their stark version of solid ground.

From Maps & Atlases guitarist Erin Elders: “The video shoot for Solid Ground was like what I imagine a rainy day at summer camp to be like. During the day we trudged through the damp woods with guitars and drums in hand and at night we sat around singing Tom Petty songs. At the end of it all, it was really sad to have to leave our new camp friends and head back home.”

A beautiful clip for a beautiful song.