We are overjoyed to bring to you today an exclusive look at the new video for the track ‘Children of the Hour from UK/Australian band Dande and the Lion.
‘Children of the Hour’ is an effervescent track filled with exuberance and verve. Threaded with an euphoric feel grounded by an element of melancholy (as I always says, the essential ingredient for any good pop song), the track has an open, expansive pace with a soaring pulse quickening chorus.
Reflecting their very name, the band reveals a self-deprecatory sense of humour and a wry expression that pervades the song, underlined by a spoken interlude that creates an intimate intermission and a touch of theatricality to the synth-laden music. This is cinematic and exuberant pop of the highest order that reminds me of The Naked and the Famous, which fuses hyperkinetic synth pop with an indie edge.
Singer/guitarist Natassa Zoe says of the new single:
I was sitting in Centennial Park in Sydney waiting to be picked up. I’d just finished reading a play called ‘The Children’s Hour’ and that kicked off the songwriting process. My ride was late which allowed me to finish the entire song all in one go which was kind of cool.
‘Children of the Hour’ centres around the push and pull within an intimate relationship: the idea of meeting someone who takes you completely off-guard and shakes up your world in a totally unexpected way. So much so that you start creating excuses to see them and thinking about a future with them. But despite all of those feelings it never quite matches up: for whatever reason you’re both just out of touch.
The video captures an element of vitality and carefree joie de vivre. Directed by Kathy Luu, it follows the band on a number of zany and whacky escapades. Luu says of the video:
I wanted to capture and express the essence, movement, and these feelings of love and the passion of being alive – of being children of the hour. We are all main characters in our life movie, wading in so much magic, it sometimes takes loss or time passing for us to realise this beauty and joy we were living. All we can do is be brave, do our best, and try to have as much fun and love one another while we still can – who knows how and when this movie will end!
Suffice to say, it is a perfect and endearing accompaniment to the rush and the push of the song:
This is superlative vibrant pop of the highest order.
‘Children of the Hour’ is out now and available to be downloaded and streamed here. You can catch the band live in March and April – full details and tickets here.
Dande and The Lion are dual vocalists Natassa Zoe (guitar) and Abbey Gardner (synth), joined by Chris Gabriel (drums) and Nicholas Shea (bass).
Feature Photograph: @saz.watson (Saz Watson)
