Directed by Jonathan King, Damien Binder has released a sumptuous video for his slow burning, yearning single ‘Don’t Know What’. Mostly a black and white piece with colour only present in a brief shot of the iconic photo of Binder, it consists of Binder performing in an archetypal Australian pub, with a nod to the literary thread in Binder’s songwriting as an old typewriter is used to bang out the lyrics. Binder has an enigmatic presence, and the video is transfixing in its simplicity and vision:
Binder’s New Zealand roots shine through in this slice of melancholia with the achingly beautiful pop genes of Crowded House shimmering in the delivery. Binder’s vocals are expressive and filled with an air of yearning, the melodies are anthemic and bold and the song glitters with an antipodean freshness and vitality as wide and open as the Western Australian skies.
Working with Matt Gio behind the production desk, Binder says of the track:
After my first two singles this year, ‘Don’t Know What’ is another departure of sorts – it’s less adorned, more humble & direct which hopefully suits its themes. Given the times, I wanted to convey something about the power of human connection and hope in uncertainty.
Matt stripped back my original arrangement of the song and in doing so really captured its essence, while Dan Carroll from Perth’s legendary live rock gods The Southern River Band provided some lovely electric guitar flourishes on the track!
The reverberated vocals add an element of dreaminess to the track and gives an almost fifties tone – a kind of Lennon-esque shimmer and a soul-inflected sparkle. This is another fine example of a songwriter at the very top of his game.
