Premiere: Vita and the Woolf "Home" Music Video
☆ By Frances Scott ☆
Photo By Evan James Benally Atwood
HOME – where the “Confetti” is. Vita and the Woolf takes rose-colored glasses to new heights, authentically shining with color both visually and in her sound. Her upcoming album Anna Ohio carries aspects of the past, present and future, which makes for a sensational work of art. “Home,” one of several tracks from the album, is an upbeat hit that tastes incredible to the ears. Not only is it gorgeous all around, but it calls back to her own new beginning of moving away and finding home. In discussing the song Jen Pague, aka Vita and the Woolf says, ”the lyrics, ‘abandoned malls and the ghosts that haunt them’ are about the destruction of malls built in the 70s and 80s. The fictional character, Anna lives here, she grew up here. A mall, a marketplace, and the epicenter of capitalism. This idea of realizing, she can’t live in the mall anymore. Embracing the melancholy of this bizarre structure.”
The Luna Collective is so excited to premiere and share her new music video for “Home”! Step into the world of Vita and the Woolf and watch the “Home” video, and read below to find out more about the forthcoming album and Prague’s story.
LUNA: First things first, how are you these days? How has quarantine been treating you?
PRAGUE: Things are okay. I started training to run a half marathon, so that’s been exciting and something I never thought I would do in my lifetime. Haha!
I recently lost a friend, so that’s been really difficult to wrap my head around – and I’m still mourning. Due to the pandemic, there have been some folks who have lost their jobs who were integral to the Vita team, so things have been changing and weird. However, I’ve been focusing a lot more on sound design and film scoring, so that’s been exciting and something new I enjoy doing as well.
LUNA: Your recent release “Confetti” has a particularly striking sound. What role does emotion play into your music? Any common themes or narratives you’re drawn to these days?
PRAGUE: Emotion is everything when I write. I don’t think I’ve ever written a song that is actually worth keeping unless I’m in some type of mood – usually when I’m sad. Haha! Themes/narratives, specifically regarding the new album Anna Ohio, is, like, 90s grunge next to really plastic pink. Think the aesthetic of the film But I’m a Cheerleader.
LUNA: In your music video for “Home” (as well as in general), you have such a colorful aesthetic – it’s so fun! What impact does that draw to color have on your music?
PRAGUE: I used to work a day program for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Philadelphia, called SpArc. Some of the folks there taught me how they can identify music with certain colors. It was pretty amazing, so, yes, I think color has a huge impact. I think with the song, “Home,” it’s such poppy and upbeat song. I picture a lot of bright colors and pinks.
LUNA: On the flip end, what role do toy want your visuals to play for your music? Why is tapping into that visual side important to you?
PRAGUE: I think when I was a kid, I would listen to music and make up music videos for them, acting them out in my parents’ backyard with my Walkman CD player. Now, when I finish a song, I try to do just that. I think in visuals.
LUNA: Can you share a bit about the message behind “Home?” How does your artistry benefit from having a sense of home and/or authenticity and grounding?
PRAGUE: I wrote the song when I was choosing where I wanted to move after living in Philadelphia for six years. I was living in-between places at the time and just felt like singing about Home.
LUNA: Can you share a favorite moment or memory from your creative process for Anna Ohio?
PRAGUE: I rented a cabin up in the San Bernardino Mountains to record all the vocals for the album with my friend/producer Hope Brush. We took about four days to record everything, and it was just such a relaxing/productive time. Plus, Hope is a boss and knew what she was doing. So, I completely trusted her direction. It was so nice being in nature and waking up every day surrounded by trees. We started drinking tequila at noon and would go out for dinner in the evening, laughing and talking about life. Good times – pre-Covid.
LUNA: The eighth track on the album is beyond great. The number eight is often associated with new beginnings. Would you say this is true for the entire album?
PRAGUE: I think it was a new beginning when I wrote the album. However, now I almost feel like everything has changed so much in the world and my life personally that it’s now part of my past. However, it works out because I feel like life has changed for so many people recently. It will be relevant to those who haven’t heard the record yet.
LUNA: If you could give any words of wisdom to young women wanting to find their place in the music industry, who may feel discouraged, what would you pass along?
PRAGUE: Just start doing what you want to do, and people will eventually pay attention. Persistence and get really, really good at what you do. Unfortunately, people who aren’t white men still need to work much harder in order to prove themselves in this industry. I would also recommend learning how to do everything yourself at first and find someone who’s willing to take you under their wing and give you good advice. I had a lot of women and men help me and give me advice about the industry. Unfortunately, due to Covid, I feel like the industry is going to change pretty drastically, especially on the live/touring/promotional side of things.
LUNA: Despite so much being up in the air, you’ve kept busy! Do you have any intentions for the upcoming months you’d like to speak out into existence?
PRAGUE: I’m still doing my weekly Twitch live stream. I go live on IG randomly. Haha! I also will be releasing a couple new live videos I shot in my apartment a couple months ago, so look out for those.
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From Pavietra 🕊️ https://t.co/BXVgWlZud8 -
slowthai by Rosie Matheson 🤩 https://t.co/z7SDfFQ5iF
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RT @i_D: Ian Kenneth Bird photographs young punks on Polaroid: https://t.co/MKT0tMUqO9 https://t.co/a0tTl12ML5
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RT @AnOtherMagazine: #DreamHome – this isolated idyll in the mountains of Lanzarote 🌵 📸 via Nowness, photography by Clemence Blr 🔁 https://t.co/GUusdxD0cg