“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans”. These words by John Lennon ring truer today than I think they ever have before. We all had plans to do things, go somewhere, be places that other people were or were not, and then life happened. For most people, these months of unrest, upheaval, and isolation have been like nothing we’ve ever experienced before. For some, however, this kind of experience isn’t a new one.
John Rezende-Shalom and Charlie Wolf came up with the video concept for Roxy Green’s song “6 Months” thinking about the experiences of John’s father. In 2018 John’s father retired early, moved to a remote area of Los Angeles called Shadow Hills, and lost his driver’s license due to complications from early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. John explained that “many of the things [his dad] found pleasure in disappeared or were no longer available to him” once his dad found himself in this situation. This music video was a way to recreate and document that time in his Dad’s life.
“Though we started the production and concept of this video in Fall 2019, I now find it reminiscent of many of our lives during the COVID-19 pandemic: when we find ourselves struggling to survive and/or isolated from friends and social interaction, many of the good things that we experienced shut down or otherwise unavailable to us. We try to regain our sense of normalcy through any inkling of hope, routine, or fulfilment we can. My dad notes that for him, life remains much the same during the pandemic, though he still feels “off” in a way difficult to describe.” – John Rezende-Shalom
The video takes the listener/viewer through a fly on the wall journey that focuses on the daily routine of the main character, John’s dad. Roxy Green’s music is a beautiful and haunting complement to the story being told in the video. The lyrics skirt the line between being a direct reference to the visual story being told and being just different enough for the listener to be able to piece things together for themselves.
The organ/keys part in the intro sets the tone for the remainder of the listening/viewing experience creating a very anxious and uneasy feeling. I think John and Charlie’s use of monochrome videography also enhances that eerie quality leading to the reveal of John’s dad starting at 0:38. All of these elements come together and set the mood of the piece so brilliantly that even when the video switches to full colour at 1:57, the uneasy, eerie feeling remains constant.
Overall, I found the viewing/listening experience very emotional and commend John, Charlie, and the members of Roxy Green for their very creative, and meaningful piece.Watch the video for “6 Months” below.
