From Chicago, the artistic couple and Alternative duo Hobbyist releases a highly reflective music video for their single, "Neon."
Releasing the music video in support of Save Our Stages, Hobbyist has been incredibly active on their socials in order to keep their creativity flowing. The duo consists of vocalist Holly Prindle and multi-instrumentalist Marc Mozga.
Both owning unique talent through musical theater groups, self-taught instrumentation, and a devoted passion for creation, Hobbyist is eager to release their tunes and give listeners an engaging experience.
One can easily get to know the style and vibe Hobbyist embodies through their recent music video for their single "Neon." Regarding the song itself, listeners can hear Holly Prindle's haunting and soothing vocals steam through our speakers while she sings a rather introspective message of comparing oneself to those around her.
As Marc Mozga brings a heavy down-tempo vibe with melodic synths and a gripping bassline, the single brings vast emotion through each element.
The music video for Hobbyist's single "Neon" perfectly honors the single itself, as we see shots of Holly Prindle walking through the cold Chicago streets, acquainting herself with a tombstone that seems to be someone who was rather close to her.
We can't help but feel this sense of the late 90s through the music video's scenery, as shots of Chicago natives and streets give the video quite the authentic and nostalgic feel.
Giving us a slice of their everyday lives and experiences with the emotion of their recent music video for "Neon," Hobbyist is putting authenticity and genuineness back on the table.
We love the heavy vibe you've delivered with your single "Neon." What inspired the emotional lyricism and concept within the song?
We get a lot of our inspiration from observing people around the city. (Chicago) Neon was literally inspired by a lady Marc saw on a bus and creating a background story for her.
Could you bring us into the creative process for your single "Neon"? How did the two of you create the sonic and lyrical atmospheres behind the scenes?
Marc was inspired by the limitations of recording into a phone through Garageband. Everything had to be minimized as far as creation goes, due to the fact that we were at home and literally had to be quieter and turn down the volume. We hadn't recorded anything for Hobbyist on our own previously, so it was a learning process and a matter of doing what you have to do due to new circumstances.
Speaking on the music video for your single "Neon," how did you come up with the shots and scenes? How does the video bring visuals to the song's concept?
We were thinking a lot about the Save Our Stages movement and wanted to bring some awareness to it. I (Holly) read that 90% of small music venues in the US could close due to the Covid 19 pandemic without relief from Congress. We had been hearing about places permanently closing in Chicago due to Covid, and we started creating a list of the venues that had closed over the years in Chicago, beyond Covid times. The list was kind of mind-blowing when we saw it all together, so we decided to pay homage to some of these venues in the video, visiting the closed-door spots and in other cases showing what exists in these spaces now. We weren't trying to tie the lyrics to the video, but I think that happens organically sometimes. The song talks about our addiction to phones and the false happiness cultivated through the virtual world we live in now, and that ended up contrasting well with the real world venues that are currently empty.
There's one scene in particular within your music video for "Neon," where Holly Prindle is sitting on a tombstone while singing her reflective message. Does this scene have any significance or deeper meaning behind it?
The idea to shoot in a graveyard started off as pure aesthetic, as we were looking for spots to film during covid where people would be scarce and we could take off our masks, as we wanted the whole video to take place outside. But when thinking about the concept of the video, the graveyard ended up being a perfect spot to reflect on the death of music during covid- no shows, no touring, no support for venues and their employees, and beyond that when you think about how hard it is to get paid as a musician these days due to streaming services. Artist's work is no longer recognized monetarily and you're supposed to be grateful to make $.004 off a stream of your song. I don't think artists have ever been less appreciated than in our current world.
2020 has been a very challenging year for everyone. What has been keeping you inspired to create music? What advice can you give another artist who's finding it difficult to do so?
We wrote and recorded our Side Fx ep during Chicago's stay at home order in the spring. I think at the beginning of the lockdown, we were inspired by the amount of time we had together to create at home. Usually, we create in our practice space and record in a studio, but we did everything on an iPhone for Side Fx. We have a lot of days when we're not inspired- it definitely comes in waves. I think we just realized that we feel a lot saner during Covid when we are creating, so I made a long list of things we've wanted to do for Hobbyist but never had time for, and now I'm just going down the list and checking things off. There's always a business side to music, so if you're not feeling inspired to write, pick something from the business side and work on that. When you're a DIY band there is always something you can work on to create more exposure. If you're working on something for a project you love, the creativity will come if you stay in it.