Popular Pōneke nine-piece band Revulva have today released a music video for their new dark and punchy single ‘This Town’.
‘This Town’ has been striking many hit chords since its release in February - placing #12 in the Official Hot 20 NZ Singles Chart, #3 RadioScope Alt Chart, Most Added and #1 on the SRN Charts. A tale of avoiding your ex in public and the lack of romantic anonymity in a small town, it was Revulva’s intention to not make the music video too literal to the original concept and lyrics of the song. Instead, the spaghetti western theme of the video leans into the futility of dating within a small scene, while also capturing the humour of how intense yet silly these relationships can be.
“It’s about a cowboy and cowgirl in love and spending the day at Red Rocks exploring the world,” says Revulva’s Phoebe Johnson. “But then disaster strikes and they break up in a heated fight, dealing with the breakup in their own ways before stumbling upon a bounty made on the others head. Cowboy and cowgirl recruit armies of many and then fight to the death.” The making of the video was definitely not all smooth sailing, as Phoebe explains. “In the lead up to the video shoot we had 3 directors withdraw due to health, work and other reasons. We luckily had Ben Ashby (also starring in the video) step in just a week before the shoot - which was shot in one day at Wellington’s Red Rocks, with weather that was rain-threatening one minute, to sun-burning the next. We had the assistance of the lovely Wellington community step in for the ending fight scene and choreographed it on site. Against all odds, we have made a video we’re extremely proud of.”
Alongside director by Ben Ashby, was assistant director Pearl Kennedy, DOP Ben Stewart, and styling by iconic Wellington hat brand, Hills Hats. Also starring in the video are all members of the Revulva supergroup - Phoebe Johnson (NOVA, Ebony Lamb), Lily Rose Shaw (Dawn Diver, The Gallery), Hector McLachlan (Raiden Freeman), Lennox Grootjans (Hummucide, Len Blake), Toby Leman (Hummucide, The Gallery), Olivia Campion (Yumi Zouma, Mystery Waitress), Zane Hawkins (Dr. Reknaw, Zoe Moon), Hayden Richardson (Dr. Reknaw), and Kaito Walley (TOI, Bret Mckenzie). ‘This Town’ was recorded/mixed by Lee Prebble at Surgery Studios, then mastered by Downbeat Mastering. The group celebrated its release with their first Aotearoa nationwide ‘This Town Ain't Big Enough Tour’.
Since 2020, the band have been regulars on the Wellington gig scene and, more recently, had their debut EP GIRL’S GOTTA EAT nominated for best EP at the 2022 Student Radio Network Awards. Revulva’s sound is a mix of soul, funk, pop and jazz, but with ‘This Town’ they surprised some fans with its spoken word for the lead vocal, dark harmony, and an exciting percussion solo section at the end - known to the band as the “break up” section, as opposed to the typical “break down” section.
With much more to come from Revulva, so make sure you’re following their socials!