It’s fair to say that we’ve been looking forward to sharing this video for some time. Le Fay sees Joshua Burnell’s return to his original songwriting and also marks an exciting change in artistic direction as he makes a foray into new musical territory with this folk-fused baroque pop offering. The single, which is performed in a lush, extravagant, all hands on deck soundscape with strident drums, swirling keys and electric guitar, is the second track from the upcoming album Flowers Where The Horses Sleep which will be released on 4th September 2020. The accompanying paper-cut video by New York-based animator, Andrew Benincasa is nothing short of incredible and we highly recommend you read more on both the song and video below.
Joshua Burnell on Le Fay:
The Song
Le Fay is loosely based on the idea of the enchantress Morgan Le Fay from Arthurian legend. She is one of the ultimate villains. What I find most striking about her is that she can use magic, but her real power is in her ability to manipulate people to do what she wants. I think this is what makes her so relatable. We’ve all been manipulated and know how much it stings. We all know a Le Fay, either from personal relationships or from today’s politics. These days, we all feel betrayed and used in some way.
The song was an attempt to conjure a modern Le Fay for 2020, described through the narrative of one of her victims. For the music I played around with drum loops, Philip Glass-inspired piano riffs and of course Nathan Greaves’ blistering guitar work. Frederick Sandys’ striking Morgan Le Fay painting and Keats’ La Belle Dame Sans Merci served as inspiration for the rich, romantic aesthetic I wanted to juxtapose with the more contemporary sound.
The Video
As usual, I went all-out on the artwork. The album artwork was hand-crafted by Mumbai-based artists, Hari & Deepti who cut everything out of paper. The result is breathtaking. To tie everything together, I thought, ‘I wonder if I could get someone to do a paper-cut video?’
This time I looked to the other side of the globe and collaborated with New York-based animator, Andrew Benincasa. He cuts every detail out of paper, then animates it using stop motion. What a genius.
I explained the story and themes behind Le Fay, but was keen for the video to tell a different story. My favourite music videos are those that aren’t too literal, but have a parallel narrative to the songs, sharing themes and concepts in common. Andy agreed and the ideas he brought forward were just fantastic. He took the characters from Hari & Deepti’s cover art and created the most beautiful short story around them. To tie in with the Arthurian aesthetic, Andy included motifs from 19th century illustrator, Aubrey Beardsley who also created art based on Morgan Le Fay. My music is built around storytelling, and this video achieves something I’ve wanted to do since I started making music.
The first time I watched it through, I had to keep reminding myself to breathe. It pulls you through so many twists and turns and succeeds at being both intensely action packed, yet deeply poignant at the same time. It perfectly harnesses the emotional surges of the song, and I have no shame in admitting I had tears in my eyes at the end when… well, I won’t give any spoilers – you’ll just have to watch it!
Limited Edition Vinyl
Today is also the launch of the limited edition vinyl LP. At the time of writing, 21 of the 50 are available so don’t hang around. You can order via https://www.joshuaburnell.co.uk/product-page/flowers-where-the-horses-sleep-vinyl-lp
Le Fay is digitally released today.
Flowers Where The Horses Sleep is released 4th September 2020
More here: https://www.joshuaburnell.co.uk/
Photo Credit: Elly Lucas