Video Premiere: Birdthrower “Medication”
In our recent cover story featuring Ben Harper and Rhiannon Giddens, Harper reflected on the launch of his new label, Mad Bunny Records. He explained, “What prompted it was looking at the landscape of where the industry was going and seeing a disregard for artistry that may be outside the pop realm, or even way outside the pop realm. But even that overstates it. I just saw a void, which I’m hoping is a vacuum of great artistry falling by the wayside without being able to get any traction. So, I just couldn’t sit still.
“It was a combination of that as well as my experience with one particular artist, Birdthrower, whose commitment to artistry and songwriting is unparalleled. I had to do whatever I could to ensure that people would have a chance to hear him. There were numerous artists on my radar and it pained me to see that they were not getting the proper attention but Birdthrower was the tipping point for me.”
Today we premiere the official video for “Medication” from Birdthrower’s eponymous debut. Harper produced the record and notes, “”I had long dreamt of a sonic space somewhere between Lou Reed, Leonard Cohen, Victoria Williams and the sound of a growing forest. I arrived there with Birdthrower.
“From the perspective of a producer and artist, I was amazed how Birdthrower would capture the recording of his songs, live guitar and vocal, in one or two takes, three takes tops. He had a deep well of finely crafted songs that were world class and album ready, which also brought the record clearly into focus. This is a record that is a mainstay for me listening wise at home, and I am extremely proud to have Birdthrower as the first release on my new record label Mad Bunny Records.”
Birdthrower (aka Robert O Leaver) tells Relix, “’Medication’ was the song of mine that caused Ben to phone me up and suggest working together. It was a quirky version of the song done on a Kaos pad with me doing some demented background vocals. Ben heard the humor, but I think he also recognized the real human struggle that found its way into the vibe of the song. Ultimately in the studio we steered the song in a more acoustic slinky funky direction which ended up being just right. He has an uncanny ear and sense of what is authentic and true in music. His intense focus on helping each song realize itself was something to behold, and I was sad when our time in the studio was over.”
As for the video, he adds, “Never in the history of music videos has a song and an outfit been so right for each other. We are all struggling through a desperate and absurd time. Laughter is always the right medication.”
