Grief is the yellow Starburst of deeply penetrative emotions. No one necessarily reaches for it, but when it is forced upon you, you have no choice but to stomach it. Indie rocker Alicia Bognanno, better known as Bully, knows this all too well. After being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, the musician has made a more conscious effort to find an outlet for her emotions. Bognanno’s previous track, “Lose You,” was a cathartic demonstration of that, but it was only the beginning.
On her latest single, “Days Move Slow,” off her forthcoming album, Lucky For You, Bognanno is forced to reach down even deeper as she pours the grief of losing her beloved dog and best friend on the track in under three minutes. When asked about her grief process, she told Flood Magazine, “As someone who has spent the majority of my life feeling agonizingly misunderstood, there is no greater gift than experiencing true unconditional love and acceptance,” adding, “I waited my whole life for the bond and irreplaceable companionship I had with Mezzi. She was my best friend and my only constant through some of the most pivotal moments and phases of my life. I was a stranger to the level of love I now know exists because of Mezzi.”
That pain is felt through the grayscale video, which is heightened by the fact that the visual was captured on film rather than digital.
Filmmaker Alex Ross Perry, the video’s director, shared that this emotional pulling was at the center of the visual inspiration. “Right away, it seemed striking to make a piece as stark and measured as possible, not to make a video that replicates the song’s sonic energy but to visualize the emotional weight and feelings of loss and grief depicted in the lyrics,” said Perry.
Watch the full video for “Days Are Long” above.
Lucky For You is out 6/2 via Sub Pop. For more information, click here.
