Sometimes you come across an artist or song that’s so mesmerizing and refreshing to hear that it completely dissipates your distaste for the monotony of the music world. That’s exactly what we’ve found in DAVIS’ “Hello.” A complete rock banger, “Hello” is one of several tracks that the LA-based artist will be rolling out this year.
Today, we are happy to bring you the official music video for the track, filled with raw energy and the ever-looming presence of a wolf-masked alter ego. It’s an energetic video that filters the emotion of the lyrics into a visual representation with ease.
In a release about the video, DAVIS said:
“I started lashing out at the people around me who cared about me the most, and then I knew I had a problem. Hello is about confronting that issue. Every morning you wake up and look in the mirror and you reflect (literally and figuratively) about who you are. I didn’t see myself anymore. I needed to start over. I needed a second chance to make a first impression.
The wolf in the music video is that person. The angry, bitter, ugly version of myself. The wolf is my worst enemy, and he was living in the mirror looking back at me. I needed to say goodbye to that person. I needed to start over. Hello is my attempt to begin again.”
Watch the video for “Hello” and read our exclusive interview with DAVIS below.
It’s been a few years since Substream has caught up with you (the premiere of “Two Cents” in 2015). Since then you’ve released the Crooked Finger EP and played tons of shows. Anything else exciting happen that we missed out on?
Ya, there’s been some cool stuff for sure. I’ve been in the studio non-stop working on new tunes. I’m inspired by so many different styles of rock so it’s cool to explore that in my songwriting. I’d like to think I’m somewhere between Black Sabbath and The Clash. From now on, I’ll just be releasing one song at a time, and I’m stoked to keep surprising people along the way with each track.
Other than that, I’ve had success in other ways. “Two Cents” was featured in Guitar Hero, and my song “Touch The Sky” found its way into a Miller Lite campaign.
You’ve been creating quite the buzz in LA, with “Hello” being featured on KROQ’s Locals Only for 12 weeks. How does it feel releasing new music and seeing a response like this?
It’s rad. KROQ has been super supportive of me, which I’m very thankful for. I’ve listened to KROQ my whole life, and it’s always been the station you listen to when you want to discover cool new bands. It’s even more exciting that the listeners have voted for my song week after week to get it played. As an artist, its the best feeling knowing that people are demanding more of your music.
You’ve mentioned that “Hello” was influenced by classic rock and roll bands like Arctic Monkeys, Nirvana, and Blur. Were there any classic music videos you wanted to reflect or pay homage to when creating the video for “Hello”?
Totally. I told the director, Haley Reed, that I wanted a video that was like “Smells Like Teen Spirit” meets ’90s hip hop like Beastie Boys meets a Thrasher skate video. There’s a bit of an homage to The Strokes and Queens of the Stone Age as well. We shot all over the place: Los Angeles, Huntington Beach, Palm Desert. Ultimately, the video turned into its own thing that’s hard to describe. I love that. It exists in its own lane. You might not be able to figure out exactly what you just saw, but you’ll dig it.
The song tackles some personal struggles you went through while writing it. When working out the video treatment for “Hello,” what kind of emotions did you want to evoke in the viewer?
“Hello” is such a personal song for me. I didn’t like the person I was when I wrote it. I was angry, bitter, and frustrated with myself. I was lashing out at the people around me who cared about me the most. The wolf in the video is that ugly side of me: the person I hated being. Just like the song, the video is about saying goodbye to who I was, and starting over again.
You have a new album in the works. What can listeners expect to hear? More rock n roll bangers?
Tons! People will be shocked at what comes next from me. It’s exciting. The songs are influenced by every different type of rock n roll. Just when you think you got me all figured out, I hope you’ll be excited that you’re wrong.
