Matt Ellis released the second music video from “Births, Deaths & Marriages” today. The track, a duet featuring his wife V, is an uptempo Americana rocker.
From Matt Ellis:
Shot in the singers’ Venice Beach backyard, friends gathered to dress, act in and shoot the clip over an evening late Summer. Directed and edited by Ellis, “River Too Wide” is the follow up to, “Heart Of Mine” – the lead single from, “Births, Deaths…” which scored 3rd place in The International Songwriting Competition’s, “Best Video” category earlier this year.
Inspiration for the video flowed easily from Matt & V’s love for Mexico and its History. Before relocating to Los Angeles, The Australian couple spent several months in a small fishing village in the Yucatan, Mexico, where Matt wrote the majority of his previous album, “Tell the People”. It was during this time that Ellis began experimenting with duets and encouraged his wife to lend her voice to his songs.
Ellis’ wife, V is a collector of Dia de los Muertos folkart and so it was apt that as a first wedding anniversary gift, Matt hand-crafted a calavera (or “skull”) diorama. In it he recreated the scene of their nuptials on a friend’s sheep farm back in Australia. That unique gift has become their own ritual. The pair spend each anniversary together, creating a new calavera diorama, representing the most significant events of the year passed. They intend to have a collection of calaveras symbolizing each year of marriage.
In celebration of the launch, “River Too Wide” is available here as a free download for a limited time.
VIDEO CREDITS:
Directed by: Matt Ellis
Assistant Director: Joey Indrieri
1st Camera: J.D. Narro
2nd Camera: Patrick Wilkins
Make-Up: Jess Cron
Band Wardrobe & Set Styling: Vavine Tahapehi
Actors Wardrobe & Styling: Megan Pistana & Lexi Beermann
Flame Artist: Jodi Tyne
Color Grading: David Chontos
Audio Playback: Stewart Yost
Edited by: Matt Ellis
Band: Josh Norton, Fernando Sanchez, Cecil Campanaro, Vavine Tahapehi & Matt Ellis
Leads: (In order of appearance) – Nathan Phillips, Patrick Wilkins, Adeline Wilkins, CJ Gronner, Joey Indrieri, Megan Pistana, Ryan Shields & Karly Walker.
Extras: Jess Cron, Jane McDonald, Jen Hires, Tony Papa, Katie Stratton, Theo Spitler, Amie Bordelon, Emma Leslie, Kate Hickey, Pip Malone, Hilary Craven, Lexi Beermann, Etienne Espinoza, Garrett Hughes, Brad Gerlach, Aleksei Archer, Hilary Webb, Jess Sluder, Brian Edelman & Gang.
A huge thanks to everyone who generously gave their time & resources, going above and beyond to help make this video a reality.
