East Of June Ponders The Empty Nest Syndrome in New Single/Video “LITTLE BIRD” By Albert Schwartz While the pandemic stifled many musical careers out there, it did just the opposite on a few of them. Take for instance, the Los Angeles based band, East Of June. While things shut down and people found themselves in self doubt, East Of June embraced this as a creative moment as evidenced by their new video, “Little Bird.” The subject of this video, as the band sings atop a mountain range, is about how a child moves out of the family home for the first time. Will it work out… Is this the right thing… how will the parents handle it, and is this the best thing for their child as he or she leaves the safety of the nest. All this and more is explored in the lyrics of the song. “As a parent there is no greater fear than watching your child let go of your hand and tackle life’s uncertainties and challenges
on their own,” says bassist and parent Dirk your own lessons and flying away from the Lance (formerly of Incubus). “There is also nest even when you’re scared.” no greater joy and sense of accomplishment The video was filmed in Simi Valley, to be had in this world than watching them CA along the Long Canyon Trail against a discover what they are truly capable of desert backdrop by Director of Photography without you.” Robert Schweiger. “Initially, we liked how Vocalist Emily Rath adds, “Creatively, using a drone gives the viewer the feeling of I felt a strong connection to my own life a bird in flight, watching our performance writing these lyrics because as an only child I from the skies above,” adds guitarist Kyle was somewhat of a late bloomer in many Mortensen. “Further into our brainstorm, ways and felt a little more anxiety about though, we discovered the deeper story of leaving my comfort zone than others my age. tracing our own parallel paths with music However, I knew that when I did, I would over the years and introduced the idea of always have the support and love of my weaving together images of our childhood. It family to carry me regardless of how far all comes together when we see Dirk with his away I went. I wanted to show that idea in the own daughter and him passing the musical song by exploring how hard it can be for not torch on to her as the cycle continues to go only the child, but the parent too who knows on.” that you can’t truly discover who you were meant to be without taking risks, learning October 2020 • Rock and Blues International 59
