The new video, shared by the band on their YouTube channel last month as a form of promo for their latest album So When You Gonna (released July 3rd on Lucky Number), is very different from their usual enthusiastic, pop punk sound and image. Lead singer Rakel Mjöll when speaking about the song over on her instagram (@rakelmjoll) said that the song was originally a voice memo recorded after a conversation she had with her sister who, at the time was going through a difficult pregnancy that ultimately she didn’t want to follow through with. This conversation happened at the same time last year as the Alabama Abortion Ban and The Human Life Protection Act were put into place, thus becoming a starting point for the band to create something which allowed them to voice their anger at the patriarchy for designing a system in which it owns women’s bodies when sometimes it may not be possible to articulate these feelings properly.
The video itself was created in collaboration with Icelandic director Helga Katrínardóttir (@gunnhildurhelga on Instagram) with ideas springing from the band members themselves.
When discussing the video, the band said that they used water as a metaphor in both the song and video to symbolise both the singular & collective experiences of abortion. They mention how all humans are made up of 75% water, creating the idea that all pain is shared pain.
They then said: “It is our choice to craft the narratives of our own lives and fight the restrictions put on us by a society attempting to control our bodies. It’s feeling all the feelings and knowing that the storm will pass.”
In regards to video setting, there was a vast difference in location with Rakel being filmed in the Icelandic countryside and both Bella & Alice in their South London homes. However, this was in fact purposeful to show both the singular and collective experience of this situation. The interior and exterior shots also show on a drastic level the different ways the band member’s home countries have mobilised in response to the current pandemic and how important it is to function collectively during times of dislocation.
Dream Wife are set to tour So When You Gonna in both The UK and Europe next spring and you can find tickets to all dates here: https://dreamwife.seetickets.com/tour/dream-wife