Video Premiere: JUNE "Make It New"
HIGHLIGHTING A PLETHORA OF CREATIVITY - Artist Lauren Hicks teams up with musician JUNE for her latest video “Make It New”. The track showcases a more vulnerable side to Mariah Houston, the individual behind JUNE, while touching on the positive note of renewal. Using a combination of film photos, archived home video, computer video, and hand-drawn images, Hicks taps into nostalgic feel with the video. A charming track with emotive vocals and sweet guitars that guide you along, the video allows you to temporarily transport to another world. Check out the video below and read more to learn more about the video, both of ladies’ upcoming plans and more.
Video: Directed & Edited by Lauren Hicks | Additional Illustrations by Will Harrison | Photos by Mariah Houston | Home video from Archive.org
LUNA: Can you share more about the story behind “Make it New,” is there something in particular you’d like your listener to take away from your music?
HOUSTON: A central intention I have for my music is creating a combination between big emotion and personal detail. I want my songs to be accessible and interpretive even though they may reflect specific experiences from my personal life. “Make it New” follows the end of a relationship into the beginning of a new one, acknowledging past mistakes and allowing them to influence growth and self-improvement. At the same time, I intend for the message to apply to any element of renewal. Hopefully, the listener can take away an understanding that some things will always hurt, but converting that pain into progress can help reveal its purpose.
LUNA: Do you find yourself drawn to any common themes or narratives with recent music? What’s been inspiring you lately?
HOUSTON: I love this question! I would like to say I’ve noticed a trend in themes or narratives in the music I listen to, but I think I’m a bit all over the place. I feel a strong pull toward a variety of artists and styles that can range from Corinne Bailey Rae to The Breeders. I also play and study classical music, which confuses the algorithm even more. One aspect that immediately draws me into an artist is lyricism; if a song makes me want to revisit it and re-feel the words, I know it will stay with me forever. In terms of my personal songwriting, I like to experiment with form and dissonance, and I appreciate songs that feel like they defy formula and are written from a place of spontaneity. I’m currently finding a lot of inspiration in artists like Hovvdy, Emily Yacina, Lomelda, Waveform*, and Wyatt Smith (just to name a few!)
LUNA: What role does the visual side of everything play into your artistry?
HOUSTON: I’ve never carried a strong talent for visual art, but that vacancy gives me a push to reach out to and collaborate with a bunch of incredible artists in my community. Because the video for “Make it New” was created in quarantine, it became somewhat of a video-collage of old images and clips that we already possessed. A lot of the overlaid images are from old disposables that I brought with me on trips to Seattle, Portland, and Memphis. This made the video all the more impactful for me because it is an embodiment of personal memories, significant moments, and people who really matter to me. The song connects to this concept well because "Make it New" also reflects on extraordinary moments that have come and gone.
LUNA: Sonically, what are some of the main elements that are shaping your sound?
HOUSTON: My sound has changed a lot over the past couple of years. Last summer, I released a demo tape where I recorded a song idea for every day of June. Because of the nature of the project, the demos were mostly sparse, haunting recordings of just my voice and a guitar. At that time, I was listening to a lot of Florist and Nai Palm and really prioritized soft layers, acoustic guitar, and sweet vocal melodies. Almost a year later, I feel that my sound has become a lot harsher and darker, and I find myself attracted to the gritty electric guitar found in bands like Milly and Leer. I think “Make it New” combines my love for personal, detailed lyricism with a new experimentation in lush, layered instrumentals. From elements of languid slide guitar to big muff distortion, I think this full-band approach contrasts my demos and adds an edge to my sound that allows for new emotional expansion.
LUNA: Are there other creative pursuits you’d like to explore more?
HOUSTON: A central dilemma in my college years has been kind of choosing between pursuing classical French horn and pursuing songwriting and recording. I’m still confused, but I feel that songwriting comes much more naturally to me and always feels considerably more rewarding, but I don’t necessarily expect my professors or mentors to fully understand this. I’ll always have a big love for large ensemble performance and classical music, but I’m not sure if there is a career there for me. In reference to recording, I have recently become a lot more interested in producing and mixing my own music.
LUNA: I love the video for “Make it New" - super creative and fun. Can you talk more about what the process was like for creating the video?
HICKS: “Make it New” is such a beautiful and honest song, so I wanted to create a video that matched. I wanted the video to feel like flipping through an old journal, both personal, nostalgic, and beautiful. Making this video, not only were we in quarantine, but also on opposite corners of the country. All of the video of Mariah was shot herself on either an iPhone or a webcam. It was really a collaborative effort, with me sending her examples of specific shots I had in mind, and her shooting those plus whatever ideas she had as well. From the beginning we were very much on the same page visually, both wanting to do a kind of collage and use photos that Mariah took herself. I definitely couldn’t have done it without the help of my friend Will Harrison (@greatvalueband) who provided some of the more impressive illustrations that appear throughout the video. In addition to the photos, illustrations, and video we shot ourselves, I pulled random home videos from online archives, which really adds to that nostalgic, familiar energy I wanted to create.
LUNA: How did you get into this type of video work to begin with?
HICKS: I started making music videos for friends about two years ago, and before then really had no experience with photography or video. I realized how much I enjoyed the entire process, from conceptualizing, to filming, and all the way through editing. I just loved creating videos. It really just expanded naturally from there, and I learned more about editing and using cameras with every video I made. I am someone who truly believes that anything you want to learn to do, you can learn on the internet, so if you want to start doing something, just start doing it!
LUNA: Are there any visual artists or individuals in general that have been inspiring you lately?
HICKS: I find myself most inspired by my friends and people closest to me, and I’m super lucky to have such amazingly talented people in my life! Izze Thompsan (@izze) is an incredible artist, and I am just obsessed with her work, and of course my friend Will Harrison (@greatvalueband) who provided some of the illustrations. I also find a lot of inspiration from advertisements in old magazines, and in my everyday environment. Living in New Orleans is incredible because you can’t walk a block without seeing something that inspires you.
LUNA: What do you like about bringing the visual side of music to life?
HICKS: I have so much admiration for musicians because I feel like music is such a pure form of emotional expression, and creating and releasing a song is such a vulnerable thing to do. Because of this, I feel so honored when someone trusts me with the role of creating a picture to match with their music, and I love the collaboration that comes with working with other artists. Music videos are unique because so many elements that help conceptualize a video already exist in the world, like the song, album art, and the musicians aesthetic. All of these things are a great starting point for creating the idea that will end up being the final product. Also, music videos are typically shorter and don’t need a storyline, which allows so much room for creativity.
LUNA: How have you been taking care of yourself during these crazy times?
HOUSTON: It honestly has been tough psychologically. Not only am I socially distancing, but I left New Orleans to stay with my mom in Portland where I have better health insurance -- just in case. Although I'm so thankful I get to spend time with my mom, she moved here just two years ago, and it can be lonely because I don’t know anyone in Portland. Although I have some distant acquaintances who live nearby or in neighboring towns, I don’t really have anyone I can hit up to go on a walk or catch up with at a park. It’s hard not to let the isolation get to me. I do a lot of exploring and running with my dog. Now that I’m done with finals, I’ve been baking, facetiming, tweeting, binging shows, and mostly writing, recording, and learning music.
HICKS: I’ve been trying to keep as busy, but find myself just going on a lot of walks. While I try to keep active, I’m also being patient with myself when I have days where I do nothing but sit around, eat dried mango, and watch reality TV. This whole experience has given me a lot of time to think and work on projects I may have been putting off. It’s made me realize that there is such a thing as being too busy, and I should make more time for myself when things return to “normal”.
LUNA: I know things are super up in the air right now, but do you have any upcoming goals/plan you'd like to share?
HOUSTON: I just finished producing a song that I plan to release in June, and I have a few more projects in the works. Hopefully I’ll be able to consistently release music monthly from here on out, or potentially work on a larger project. I also am a big fan of the casual bandcamp demo, and I think bandcamp is a great way to directly support artists, so I will definitely continue to release demos there.
HICKS: I recently completed a short film that I hope to release by the end of the year. It’s completely different from anything I’ve made, but it’s something that I’m proud of and hope can get seen. I don’t want to talk too much about it just in case I change my mind about releasing it online, but it’s cute, and I’m happy.
