Music Video: Sloan Peterson "105"
As soon as we pressed play on Sloan Peterson's debut single "105," we were instantly hooked. Filled with a modern take on classic vintage sounds, the song takes on the messy feelings that come with heartbreak. "I wrote '105' pretty absentmindedly and at the time I don't think I even knew if the 105 was an actual highway or street at all, ha," Joe Jackson, the woman behind Sloan Peterson, shared of the song. "But the last verse was written about a lost lover of mine, who clearly lacked emotion and devotion, making my life at that period a little painful. It was a natural development of words from my heart; a sense of having someone but not really having them at all, trying to figure out all the question marks that go around relationships."
The video elevates the music to another level. Firstly, it's only the second video to be filmed in the spectacular late eighteenth century upscale shopping destination The Strand Arcade, home to forward-thinking designers such as Dion Lee, Manning Cartell and Bassike. It's second to only David Bowie, who filmed portions of his 1983 hit "Let's Dance" at the venue. Already poised with the tools to be a visual feast, Australian agency The Royals upped the ante even more by including dancers and choreography from Australian Ballet School and Sydney Dance Company in a visual feast helped by director Pete Moore. On top of those already stellar inclusions, the video features an interactive overlay where viewers can learn more about and shop the designs worn by the dancers and Peterson. The whole concept is fun, fresh and innovative so we immediately reached out to Peterson to learn more about how she got involved with the campaign, her take on fashion, and what draws her to vintage sounds.
Wearing Scanlan Theodore.
How did the video project with The Strand Arcade come together?
They found me through instagram and had loved the video I had made myself for one of my other songs, "Blue," and contacted me about it. But then when we showed them "105" it all started to coming together.
The direction, dancing, make up, the interactive elements; it’s all insane. What was the creation process like leading up to filming?
It was insane! I got the treatment for the clip while I was up in Byron visiting family it was so much to take in and all sounded so bizarre for my first clip! Once I returned it was a very busy schedule between dress rehearsals, hashing out the concept, seeing the dance routines, but was such a great/fun experience to be apart of!
Since the video is fashion-focused, what’s your wardrobe strategy? Which pieces do you feel most drawn to?
I’m very into retro '60s, '70s styles! But a majority of the time I go for comfort over style.
"105" has a very distinct vintage sound and aesthetic to it. What compelled you to move in that direction?
I basically don’t listen to any other music except The Beatles discography on repeat so you can imagine the influence they have on me.
You’ve previously performed in bands but Sloan Peterson is more of a solo project. How has that changed the way you approach songwriting creatively, if at all?
My previous “band” was also a solo project, so the writing process is exactly the same! In fact funner now because I have more people in my band! My old band started as a two-piece and eventually became a three piece. Now I have added more instruments and different elements and it's a lot more enjoyable.
Sloan Peterson's self-titled debut EP will be released July 13th, 2017 via Mirror Records.
