Folk Radio UK are premiering the new video from the incredible folk music duo Josienne Clarke & Ben Walker for Fire and Fortune, the title track of their forthcoming album on Navigator Records. We spoke to the duo about the video recently:
We wanted to make a video that wasn’t simply a dramatisation of the song, but had an interesting storyline more referencing the song than trying to visually represent it. We gave Richie (Bardsley) a film-maker friend of ours a list of things we didn’t want in a music video, and the brief that we needed to be in it, and he (being slightly twisted) came up with the “Joan of Arc” treatment.
It’s pretty dark, and not for the faint-hearted, but anyone who knows our music will recognise the intensity and see a new side to our backstage dynamic! There’s nothing actually graphic in any of the shots, but it’s the lingering suspense that makes it a bit harrowing, like some scene from a horror movie.
The song itself is not literally about fire or fortune, but more the choices we make in life – like deliberately choosing something dangerous, chaotic and visceral over responsibility, structure, money – that kind of thing. On the album, the song leads the second arc (or side 2 if you like). It’s a bit of a different song for us, that came about after a number of re-workings of the original version. We eventually settled on a sort of gospel/foot-stomp idea which we think works really well.
Some people may find this video disturbing, but then that’s folk music folks.
Fire and Fortune is released on Navigator Records on 22nd July 2013
Pre-order from
Amazon
or
Get the limited Autograpgh Edition from ProperMusic
Ben and Josienne are playing at Leigh Folk Festival and Cambidge Folk Festival amongst others this year, full tour dates can be found here.