rose haze “Slow Decay” Music video
RELEASE DATE: WEDNESDAY AUG 30, 2023
ABOUT THE SINGLE
Kate Ramsey (vocals & synths), Ruben Gonzales (guitars), Yoko Miyakawa (bass), Dustin Coker (drums)
Recorded at Haze Studios in Oakland, CA
Mix by Ruben Gonzales
Master by Harold LaRue
For fans of: Cocteau Twins, my bloody valentine, Ringo Deathstarr, DIIV, No Joy, Slowdive, Melody’s Echo Chamber
“Slow Decay” is very much a shoegaze wall of sound cloaked in analog synth swells and sweeps, which is exactly what Ruben Gonzales and Kate Ramsey do best over a rock-solid rhythm section. The lyrics tell a story of the cycle of life and death from the lens of Ramsey contemplating whether she would ever have children and the future of humanity as a species. It’s a song of hope despite fears of the slow decay of our planet.
ABOUT THE VIDEO
DIRECTOR, CINEMATOGRAPHER & EDITOR: Matt Robeson > whitelightprism.com
Filmed at Presidio Park in San Francisco
The concept for the video was truly collaborative between frontwoman Kate Ramsey and director, cinematographer, and editor Matt Robeson aka White Light Prism. Kate brought some loose ideas to Matt explaining the concept of the song. Kate had one very specific request, to use space-themed imagery as an overlay that would almost exactly resemble Carl Sagan’s Cosmos, one of her favorite series. From there, Matt took a few notes and scouted for locations.
From the narrative perspective, the band finds each other lost in a very green and lush forest, but are transported to another world with decaying trees, ominous vibes, and rugged sandy hills hinting at the effects of climate change and other environmental concerns of our era. A bit confused, the band looks around at each other as if to say, “how did we get here?” This conveys the most literal sense of the song, being that one day we may wake up, and what we know of the world could look and feel vastly different, but the show must go on.
Another theme that is conveyed in the video alludes to the cosmic element of the cycle of humanity, life and death, from the stars to the earth and back to the stars. Psychedelic colors, swirling pulsating stars, and planetary prismatic effects draw on the song’s lyrics “from the stars to the earth, the miracle makes its way to the center of love” and “bring the light, let it shine, must keep it going forever and ever.” This is Kate’s way of reminding herself and others through this song that no matter what we may fear of the future, we can only truly exist in the now and do what we can in the present to make life as good as it can possibly be, so let’s bring the light rather than fear the dark.
The shoot itself went very smoothly and the band “had a blast rocking out in the middle of nowhere joking that they had never sounded better” because they were playing to the track. Of course, no video shoot ever goes without a bit of effort. Kate and the band dragged a wagon full of gear and random props across a long distance of very deep and very fine sand, but that was the worst of it.
Rose Haze music videos to date have been mostly of just Kate doing her thing, save a few live videos and their cover of “I Can’t Go for That” by Hall and Oates.
With this video, Kate wanted to showcase Rose Haze for what it really is, which is a band, a band with vast sonic style and dynamics, and that is very psychedelic at all times, very shoegazey at most times, and who are always having a good time. Rose Haze is not a name and it’s not a solo project. It’s Kate and her supporting members who are not hired guns but rather her musical friends.
QUOTES FROM THE BAND:
“Scouting interesting nature spots was the most fun. We got a lot of use out of one location. Even though we were setup in one spot to play around the roots, we were able to get a lot of angles and different shots without having to go very far.
It was luck that it was overcast because it reflects the tone of the song.”
Dustin Coker, drums
——————————————————————————————Filming the video was a lot of fun. We found some really cool tucked away places in the city, and it’s always a good time playing dress-up and wandering around the wood with friends.”
Ruben Gonzales, guitars
——————————————————————————————This was one of the most painless video shoots for me ever and I’m happy with how it turned out. I’ve filmed and produced many of my own videos, which I do enjoy, but it’s really nice when I can just sit back and trust someone else while I get to simply be the actress and part of the band. Also, I got to showcase my “lone locust” secret weapon synth which I love. “Lone locust” comes from Space Ghost: Coast to Coast and I took it from a Zorak line, “I am the Lone Locust of the apocalypse. Think of me when you look to the night sky." It’s very fitting for the concept of the video and I basically identify as Zorak.
Kate Ramsey, vocals and synths
LYRICS
From the stars to the earth
The miracle makes its way to the center of love
To be born
The cycle goes on and on
With the fear that the end of existence is near
(Chorus)
Bring the light
Let it shine
Must keep it going forever and ever and
It’s divine love
Let it shine
A dream so pure inside the womb
Feelings run
Through their veins
What becomes of the earth
When the sun burns so hot all the rivers run dry
Who will be here?
Who will tell the story of human unnaturally ravaging
The garden of eden
(Chorus)Somehow, somehow we will find a way
To live, to live beyond our slow decay
Running, running, running, running, running out of time
Running out of time
(Chorus)