Video Premiere: Certainty – “Notice”

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Premiering the video from London, Ontario’s Certainty for their track “Notice” off their recent release Tearing Me Apart, an empirical 5 track account of growing up and the all the emotions that accompany that change. While the swirling guitars, purposeful feedback, conveying soft / loud vocals, and guiding drums all create an impressive landscape; what is most provoking are the group’s use of lyrics to share sentimental narratives.

Lead singer Brent McSwiggan opened up about the difficult experience which led to writing this song. As a songwriter, “Notice” is particularly special because it’s the first song he has written for the band that is not about him, using empathy to detail more of an outside perspective of someone who can’t find the will to keep going.

The song was really a way to cope after losing a friend to mental illness in 2012. It’s always a heavy topic but it’s that much more important to address the issue and talk about how help is available. It’s okay to have depression, it’s okay to have anxiety, it’s okay to have bi-pilor disorder and so on; it doesn’t make you any less of a person. Mental health is just as crucial as physical health. I think it’s imperative that the music community be a safe place to talk about mental illness and we are happy to advocate for that.

The music video is very much a direct visual effort to bring the song to life. Director JJ Sorensen had a clear vision but made sure to keep their audience in mind while handling such a sensitive topic.

The video is a narrative that follows a character in distress and anguish. Her background and intentions are purposely left vague, but likely evident and relatable to anyone who has ever felt mentally or emotionally burdened to the point where they feel there is no escape. We tried to visually represent a state of mental purgatory, where nothing internal to our central figure really progresses. It’s a bleak state of mind familiar to anyone battling with depression. Brent’s portrayal in the clip is illusory, and represents more of a conscience pleading for our lead character to have some optimism and realize she isn’t alone despite how hopeless things may seem.

 

It’s winter. It’s bone chilling cold. It’s aimless driving. It’s insomnia. It’s burning out. It’s void of color. It’s trying to make sense of everything that doesn’t really make sense. But hopefully it’s also therapy. Hopefully it’s realizing you’re not alone. Realizing you belong here even when you don’t feel like it.

 

“It’s only time until you will see

The change in your world and how it’s not so bad

Just take your time to notice.”

– Hannah Hines