RVA’s indie rock band Manatree has given us a psychedelic treat for our eyes with their new music video for “Fat Jackson.”
The video, which was created by VCUarts student Mitchell Craft, features the band members along with colorful, kaleidoscope-esque special effects. The song is energetic, and according to Manatree, captures the nostalgia of being in high school.
“Fat Jackson” is a song off the band’s debut album, which they dropped in July 2015 via Egghunt Records, but was actually written five years ago
Craft knew drummer Alex Elder from elementary school and they reconnected as students at VCU. This past summer, Elder approached Craft with the prospect of collaborating on a music video.
Craft said he wanted to visually match the sound of the guitars from the song into the video.
“I was imagining a lot of colors and movement going on, so I involved that with the musicians themselves,” Craft said.
Vocalist/Guitarist Jack Mayock said the band was interested in seeing how someone else would interpret their music.
“We liked the idea of doing a video with someone whose art we liked, but who doesn’t have too personal a connection to the music,” he said.
The footage was shot in front of a green screen in Craft’s living room. The kaleidoscope effects came from repetition of frames, layering and color modifications.
“For the background I used a 360 camera, which I used to get footage of biking around Richmond,” Craft said. “Then I manipulated it so you can’t quite tell what it is.”
Manatree is currently working on their next album, but haven’t revealed a release date yet so keep your eyes peeled for more news on that.
Words by Charlotte Woods
