New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Here are Richard
James Simpson's comments about the video and song:
"We tried to make a video in the fashion of "Rocks Off' by The Stones in the early 1970s: a quick ride through Los Angeles, with all of its beauty buried beneath a dying and dusty, forgotten surface.
The song is about having an endless abundance of love to give, and desiring to allow for enough love for another being; you are willing to give them more of yourself in order to enrapture them, "If there's no room inside my heart, I'll cut some out of every part to make room there for you." The vocals speak of a bleeding sadness and discontentment with a system that demands people accept defeat; but they also express a supreme defiance of that call for defeat, a divinity of sorts among humankind to have an infinite capacity to humble themselves for one another.
The first thing we see in the video is a figure in a gas mask. He is fitted in this mask to show the ongoing war to love in an ever-increasingly toxic and dissociated environment; to be selfless; to give until there is nothing more to dispense except your love - the ultimate gift.
We focused on the grittier and grander side of Los Angeles, with iconic landmarks and dangerous night streets, all hidden among art deco monuments to a bygone era. It is shot in a smooth to frenzied manner. We are the passengers. We are seeing a butterfly in a hurricane steadfastly trying to reach for the summit of magnanimity."
Featuring such notable musicians as Joey Burns, co-founder of Calexico,
Dustin Boyer (John Cale) and Theo Welch (Barry White), Sweet Birds Of Youth is the debut solo album of Richard
James Simpson, formerly lead guitarist and vocalist for the band Teardrain (which included bass player and co-songwriter Jill
Emery of such bands as Hole, Mazzy Star and Super Heroines); and bassist for Invisible Chains (featuring musician Carla Bozulich).
Sweet Birds of Youth has been described as a collection of songs that range from sexy and gritty to dreamy and reflective. A very rich and complex sonic palette unfolds in the 18 songs, with an experimental and soulful sound reminiscent of such artist as Bowie, Iggy Pop, The Pixies, PJ Harvey,
Soundgarden and many others.
Here you find the album streaming link:
https://soundcloud.com/rjamessimpson/sets/richard-james-simpson-sweet