The Connecticut-based alternative rock band and five-piece Chaser Eight recently dropped their powerhouse single and conceptual accompanying music video entitled "The Bell Jar."
Chaser Eight took a two-year-long hiatus from 2016-2018 and has since formed their striking five-piece with old and new members AUDRA, Pat Walsh, Brennan DiLernia, Eliav Nachmani, and Jess Wolfer. Back and better than ever, Chaser Eight's new and improved alternative rock sound is quickly sweeping the industry and leaving other acts in their dust.
The band recently dropped their tumultuous music video for their single, "The Bell Jar." The single itself encapsulates everything we could ask for in contemporary alternative rock; energy, soul, passion, and a thought-provoking lyrical message. All of this is perfectly reflected in Chaser Eight's music video, which encourages watchers to reach out for help when in a time of need.
The chilling music video for "The Bell Jar" opens with the eerie and unsettling scene of AUDRA in reverse, who just jumped of a building and is seen stepping down and walking away backward. Impressively, the entire music video is in reverse, and it perfectly yet tragically depicts the scenes of someone's last day on this earth.
From shots of a gathering where AUDRA seems to be struggling to other scenes at work where she's caught in a moment of depersonalization, the saddening scenes all lead up to her morning, which would, unfortunately, be her last. We want to take this time to emphasize that if you or anyone you know is struggling, help is available at suicidepreventionlifeline.org and 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Chaser Eight's music video for "The Bell Jar" was all too real, and we truly appreciate this homage that reminds viewers to prioritize their mental health. Catch Chaser Eight's music video for "The Bell Jar" on Youtube.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Chaser Eight. We truly appreciate the conceptual, emotional, and the needed message conveyed in your music video for "The Bell Jar." Why did your band feel inspired to create a music video that speaks on suicide prevention?
Thanks for the kind words. A very close friend and former manager of the band committed suicide some years back. So this is a subject that hits close to home for us and we think it’s super important to remove the stigma from mental health. If more of us talk about it and call attention to it maybe more people struggling will find it easier to talk to someone instead of taking their life.
Who helped bring the music video to life? Did you work with any directors or videographers when creating the music video for "The Bell Jar"?
The video was really brought to life by *AUDRA*, our lead singer, and Mike Magilnick. *AUDRA* had this idea of doing a video in reverse and taking you back through the day of someone struggling with suicidal thoughts. And Mike used all his expertise to develop the story and bring it all together. Mike has done a bunch of music videos for the band in the past, so we know he is excellent at his job and could make this vision come to life.
Was it challenging to act out such triggering and unsettling scenes within the music video for "The Bell Jar"? What was this process like?
It is challenging because it’s such a heavy subject, but you also get so wrapped up in the production and acting side of the shoot that you kind of forget about the entire message until you see it completed. We were shooting out of order, so it was more about getting the best shots and wording down to sync with the song. The whole video is reversed, so *AUDRA* had to sing the whole song backward in order for it to look right when the video was reversed and put to the song. Standing on a ledge was unnerving, but it was all for that art and the message.
What do you hope to achieve with the music video for "The Bell Jar"? What impact do you want the music video to have on your audience?
We just wanted to get the message out that there is always hope if you are struggling. Someone will always be there for you, please don’t do anything to harm yourself. Obviously, we also hope people like the song as well! But it really it’s about the bigger message of the music video and we hope our audience sees that.
What's next for you?
Next, we head back into the studio to record some new songs. We were writing all of 2020 and we have some really fun things on the horizon that we can’t wait to share with our fans.