Beloved Aussie troubadour Alex The Astronauthas today unveiled a nostalgia-soaked music video for ‘South London’, the most-streamed album track from her critically acclaimed, 2x ARIA-nominated album How to Grow A Sunflower Underwater.
The artist recruited a very special director for the clip, in the form of her childhood friend, Jessica Vincenza Long.
WATCH: Alex The Astronaut – ‘South London’
“When I was ten, my family moved away to England and she came to visit me,” Alex The Astronaut shares. “We played on bikes and rollerblades and filmed ourselves on my Mum’s camera. For her to make this video now, years later, is spooky.”
The song ‘South London’ itself was inspired by Alex’s childhood in London, and the video features two young actors playing the roles of Alex and her sister Sophie, running around their neighbourhood, jumping in ponds and exploring with curiosity and wonderment.
“Seeing the kids who were cast to play my sister and I was like being in a memory,” Alex continues. “The song’s about looking back on your childhood and I think Jess captured that feeling perfectly. The little actors were amazing. It was such a fun shoot. The video makes the song what it is. I don’t think the song makes sense without it now.”
While Long herself adds: “South London is such an emotionally layered song. I feel like we all have those fond memories of our childhood where we may not have fully understood our surroundings but as an adult are able to make more sense of the world we grew up in.
“With this film I wanted to lean into the sentimentality of childhood, where life seemed simpler and to see Alex reminiscing and making sense of her experiences in London. Alex’s lyrics tell such a strong story and so it was important to mix the dark with the light.”
You can give it a watch above.
Further Reading:
Alex the Astronaut: “The World Has a Long, Long Way to Go”
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