Since the start of the pandemic in the early months of 2020 and its impact rippling throughout the U.K., and the U.S., many artists and musicians have been trying to find ways to keep relevant and nurture their creative spark with the lack of performances and live shows to look forward to for a while. For younger artists that were just getting their start and starting to release their music to the world, this could comes as a career killer, but some seem to recognize whatever momentum they may have with their budding fan bases and run with it.
Just last Friday, Nov. 13, Holly Humberstone released a short film, “On The Run,” to celebrate the release of her first EP, “Falling Asleep at the Wheel,” which she dropped back in August. Releasing a cover of Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees” among her other singles such as “Vanilla” and “Drop Dead,” fans of Humberstone have been begging for new music and a full-length album. Halfway there, Humberstone decided to celebrate and bring together all the elements of each of her music videos into one short film, featuring snippets of each of her songs and varying recordings she had released, including “Vanilla (Stairwell Version)” which she just released a studio version of three weeks ago.
“On The Run” is a 14-and-a-half-minute long video that takes place just before sundown around an abandoned warehouse. In it, Humberstone is shown fleeing the distant sounds of sirens. She is donned up in the layered and chunky jewelry and a hairstyle she wears in each of her music videos as the saga of her EP begins to thread together. Weaving through tthe labyrinth that is the warehouse, the dim lighting and red neon lights make for a cool contrast against the teal and mint shades she wears and can be found painted and flaking off the interior walls of the building as wires hang from holes and piping.
Starting out the film with shaky humming as she runs inside, it isn’t long until she’s sung through the first chorus of “Drop Dead” a capella. Then she runs into another room, picks up a mint guitar, and plays “Deep End.” All very bare and stripped back, it sounds as if, musically, everything was filmed in real time. Not long after she sets down the guitar, she is found ascending a stairwell as lights flicker overhead, paying homage to the “Vanilla (Stairwell Version).” Picking up her second guitar and using a loop pedal this time, this is probably the most confident and at ease we see this character throughout the entire film. She goes on to play a delicate rendition of “Overkill” which gets cut short at the sound of sirens and the sight of flashing red and blue lights. Humberstone quickly ditches the guitar and runs before continuing her tune.
Through the frosted glass windows, one can see that the sun has long set as lights throughout the warehouse are turned on and off. Ducking through a fire exit, she closes the door quickly behind her before finishing the song a capella and before coming across an old piano which leads into the EP title track, “Falling Asleep at the Wheel.” She is then interrupted with the sound of the fire exit door sliding open and flashlights shining in before she sprints after a red pickup and jumps into the back. She concludes the film with “Livewire” as her hair whips in the breeze from the bed of the truck and, the picture fades to black as the sound of a new song is hummed in the outro.
Holly Humberstone’s short film “On The Run” is a briefly entertaining and creative way to finally unite all of her recent works while honoring the original version of her EP, which had its first single released at the end of January. Not only does the video seem to capture the essence of her music perfectly but this year as well.
Image from Holly Humberstone via YouTube
