Vancouver’s Belle Game has delivered a standout new single in addition to a profound accompanying music video for their song “Spirit”. The lone tease off of their new album FEAR/NOTHING dropped mid-July with the subsequent album slated for a Sept. 8 release.
We caught up with Belle Game vocalist Andrea Lo to talk about the mini-documentary-style music video that filmed on location in Jodhpur, India, that follows Esther, one of the last female "death riders," who risks her life riding a motorcycle around the walls of a wooden silo at carnivals.
The singer was also able to enlighten us on what to expect from the new release, as well as the band’s relationship with the four-time Belle Game music video director, Kheaven Lewandowski.
At what point in the creation process of the "Spirit" video did you get your first look at what director Kheaven Lewandowski had put together?
Our relationship with Kheaven Lewandowski, the director goes way back to a music video from our last album. Kheaven has directed four videos for us, including "Spirit". All of his videos have been magnificent and wonderful, so we have completely entrusted Kheaven with the process. We saw the first few edits of “Spirit” and had a couple of things that we pitched in. Anything that Kheaven puts out is magnificent.
Kheaven will always respectfully send his edits, but it is more of a discussion between all of us. We are very happy with how "Spirit" turned out.
What was your reaction to his interpretation of your song?
I had a feeling of complete awe upon seeing the work; which is pretty akin to most of Kheaven’s work, or all of his work. Not to totally fangirl over here, I am taken by the story Kheaven created. On a personal note, I am extremely grateful to have the ability to work with such talented people.
How much of the song or your lyrics are you able to correlate to the storyline in the video for “Spirit”?
In looking at "Spirit" and the themes of the videos that we attempt with Kheaven, we try to highlight the fundamental human experience. "Spirit" was born out of such an incredible place for our band. It was a big transition point for us, in regards to how we interacted with and created music. We moved from logic to feeling with an entire dissolving of boundaries. I think that [process] was the way Kheaven directed "Spirit." The story Kheaven tells allowed us to get in touch with the fundamental human experience, no matter where we are on the globe. The album that we are releasing is about the duality, paradoxes and the grey matter of life; I think that the video for "Spirit" does well to embody that. Esther is a death-well rider, which is an incredible story.
Esther undergoes so much difficulty in her lifestyle and the job that she performs. After a big conflict with her manager, Esther [still] returns the next day because she has to go to work. You think that [everything in] the video pans out. Esther goes to visit her son, but she leaves to work; the video brings it all back to the grey matter [in life]. It is not a starry eyed story.
The decision to chose a career with a finite end date must add some weight to the shoulders of the video’s protagonist, would it not?
"Spirit" is an interesting and unique story to witness. Her career will expire soon, and the difficulty Esther experiences as a woman in her community. There is a lot of gender inequality in the workplace that Esther would have to tackle that every day in order to keep her job. I think anyone riding around in a death well is going to have an expiration date. Not in a morbid way, but one could only do that job for so long. I don't see (someone maintaining) that career going into their 80s.
We are viewing it as complete outsiders, even when we see the video with our song placed over it. In the moments when she is riding around in the death well, I wonder what Esther is feeling and thinking.
Does her mind go away when she is operating in the death well? You might think that she is thoughtless and mindless, but Esther is contemplating how she is going to bring money home to her child that night. [Esther might be thinking about] the argument that is going to transpire and how she is going to have to fight to get her fair share of the cash after doing the show. You and I would have to sit down and have a good talk with Esther.
Have you met Esther?
No, we haven't. I don't know if we ever will meet Esther, being that it was our crew that went to India to film.
Belle Game has stated that FEAR/NOTHING is about "numbness, exhaustion, tenacity, hope and fear.” What makes you numb?
It is difficult to pinpoint one experience or even a handful of numbing experiences. I think that that there is no light way of putting it. For me and a lot of people numbing and dissociation has been a part of survival. When I think about this video, and I assume what Esther's experiences must be, I can only imagine that she would have that [same numbness], as well; just to get on with her day-to-day.
What exhausts you?
Life. My life is not extremely dramatic. Like everyone, I have had my fair share of experiences that deal with emotional fluidity. The contradictions and paradoxes of life can leave you feeling worn out. Trying to figure yourself out as a person [can be exhausting]. Trying to sort out your place in the world and how you can best interact with it and other people. What exhausts is such an expansive topic.
What in the last few years gives you hope?
Hope for me is having a naive sense of unquestionable faith. Constantly living and striving for the highest good of yourself and others gives me hope.
What have you come to fear since the last album?
Living has instilled a lot of fear. I think that we experience fear on multiple levels. It is not just in the instinctual way that we might run away from a bear that is charging at us. It is not the fear of walking questionable and dark alleyways in life. It is fear of the unpredictability of life. Changing relationships with others, your environment and yourself in life can inspire fear. There is a fear of acknowledging deep truths about yourself and those around you. Fear of the challenge that comes with living as truthfully and honestly as you can.
What are Belle Game’s tour plans upon the Sept. 8 release of FEAR/NOTHING?
We are touring with Broken Social Scene. The tour dates are on the website.
What non-music tasks have kept Belle Game busy in the four years since Ritual Tradition Habit?
We were graced with a lot of great touring that took us into the U.S. and Europe for our first time, which opened up doors. Everyone has their jobs after touring; so we have all been working, that is the mundane part of life. To speak on a deeper level, we have been learning about how to relate better to ourselves, each other, and our music in a very different way. Writing "Spirit" was our first "oh my god" moment of moving from logic to feeling. But, I think what occurred in those three years was the beginning of a deep and important transformation in our band and ourselves, so that we could write this album. We wrote this album as many different people over the past three years.
Given the success and the relationship you share with Kheaven Lewandowski, does Belle Game have any interest in writing songs or scoring specifically for film?
I am lucky enough to work with really talented and innovative songwriters. It is amazing what my bandmates can do with their instruments. We have had a lot of interest in creating music for placements and scoring. At this point, it is a matter of priority. If we want to focus more on scoring, we are going to have to carve out the time for it, and the beginning of an album cycle is not exactly the best time to do that. Trying to get everyone's schedule together so we can have a rehearsal is a feat in and of itself. Even though there are just four of us, it's enough to make scheduling a challenge at times. Scoring [for films] is definitely on our minds. We would love to write for movies. We love creating, and we love creating with each other and Kheaven. Music for film is something that we would like to approach in the future. We are focussing on developing our live show and representing these songs as best we can. Hopefully, we will get to share some really cool moments with everyone.
These are the wonderful cards that we have been dealt, and we are going to go with it.
