Australian songwriter Rowena Wise surprises in her new video ‘Nobody’s Saviour’.
The songwriter has just signed to tastemaker imprint Dalliance Recordings, and makes her debut with this new single. Carefully etched indie folk, it feels just right for the season, matching the year’s turning with its fragrant introspection.
The beatific vocal is framed by an almost baroque arrangement, the lyrics hewn from her own relationship drama. “I think love can make you stand too close to the painting to see it for what it is,” says Rowena. “I’ve learnt the hard way that you can’t save someone who doesn’t want to be saved, and you can’t love someone else if you don’t love yourself.”
The video for ‘Nobody’s Saviour’ was directed by fellow musician Didirri, and it channels folk horror imagery – think the Wicker Man or even Picnic At Hanging Rock.
Rowena stars as a missing person, one who is ultimately offered up to the pagan gods. It’s all shot on Kodak Super 8 film, which gives the video a pleasingly retro tinge. Rowena says the video was “loosely based on the idea of self-sacrifice and giving up your own identity. But really we wanted to make something that looked striking and there’s a raw and nostalgic feel to Super 8 film that suits the organic feeling of ‘Nobody’s Saviour’.”
There’s definitely an air of mystery that draws you in with some questions left unanswered. We leant into the mythological vibe because I adore Ari Aster’s ‘Midsommar’, and we imagined that in an Australian setting. There’s something very ‘anti-hero’ about a human sacrifice, it’s glorious but also ultimately pointless. This aligned with the sentiment of the song.
Working with film was wild. We had to rehearse every shot multiple times with lots of extras, and wait for clouds to pass down by the creek. There’s something thrilling about a 6 hour shoot for only 4 and a half minutes of footage captured.
Tune in now.
