Premiere: Misty Boyce’s Surreal ‘Johnny’ Video Unfolds In Animated Dream-Pop

Misty Boyce has seen her fair share of enormous stages. As a keyboardist, she’s worked with the likes of Sara Bareilles, Sting, Ingrid Michaelson and BØRNS. She’s performed on late night TV and shared bills with enormous superstars, and she’s done all that from a position of support. And sure, that’s all well and good, but behind-the-scenes, Boyce has been striving over her real labor of love — her own music. On her third album, Get Lost, the Los Angeles-based musician has achieved a new personal pinnacle. Over the course of nine brief tracks, she hits every emotion from anger to loneliness, desire, defiance and plenty more, owning each one completely and filtering it through her delicate dream-pop sound — and sometimes ratcheting it up a bit to get a little harder.

One of the standouts on the record, though, is called “Johnny” and we’re premiering it today via a gorgeously animated video by James Holcombe. The song grapples with difficult, spiritual problems that the video loosely follows, tracing the story of Johnny and the faith that wasn’t quite enough for him. Like most great songs, the track doesn’t lend itself to easy understanding, but takes a few listens to unfold. As for the melody, Boyce’s voice narrates close throughout, until about halfway through when a smeared, ghostly piano solo takes over. Watch the whole thing above, and look for Get Lost out 2/16.

×