Western Australian native Leigh Gardiner – working under the name Chuditch – has an exquisite ear for shimmering and dramatic melodies that form perfect danceable pop songs with a gritty edge. His magnificent track ‘Cue The Violins’ has an insistent driving roll that tip-toes its way forward with a delicate step yet at a monstrous thundering pace, with his vocals a yearning, spine tingling burnish. There is a satisfying tension between the grounded up beat anthemic instrumentation and the melancholic vocals that soar across the sky: pianos march, guitars sparkle and drums beat while Gardiner’s vocals are filled with a sense of pain in harmony with the weeping strings. This has the distant echoes of Belle and Sebastian: smart, intelligent pop for the mind and the feet.
The lyrics are ethereal and poignant, themed on the suffering one goes through for one’s art:
I gather all my sins
Like coal for the furnace
Cue the violins
‘Cause I can’t hold them in all night
We are very honoured to exclusively reveal Chuditch’s self-conceived video for this shimmering track, which reveals an inherent sense of self-deprecatory humour, a wry observance of human nature. The accompanying video, directed, filmed and edited by Nathan Martella, shows an inebriated Gardiner attempting the funniest dance moves while under the influence, accompanied and guided by manifestations of his past guilts and regrets. Gardiner says:
I know personally when I have a few drinks I start off having a bit of fun, but slowly the inner dialogue starts to influence my mood & becomes quite suffocating and I become more withdrawn. Eventually we start moving together as if I have accepted the sins and are comfortable with their influence.
There is a languid and liquid movement to the superficially uncool dance steps a besuited and introspective Gardiner makes (shrouded in his own fogged world): and yet there is a tragic comedic grace that is mesmerising. The initial chaos and interruptions of the dancers in the background – awakening him from his thoughts – suddenly erupt into choreographed movements with Gardiner in the most stunning and euphoric way – spine-tingling motion that seems to imply an acceptance of your past demons and a coordinated way forward. Acceptance comes with grace:
This is really the most entrancing and immersive video, perfectly capturing the movement and the themes of the beautiful song. Out through Distrokid, you can stream the single here or get it directly from the artist through the link below (and you know that’s the best way):
7
Feature Photograph: Tim Hadlow
