Los Angeles trio SadGirl have schemed up a classic getaway in the video for their retro-soul rock single “Chlorine," premiering exclusively on Billboard today (April 16).
The visual follows the song’s lyrical Bonnie & Clyde escapism as the femme fatale namesake Chlorine trades a shared room in a trailer park with her mom for a life on the run. Her partner in crime is played by SadGirl guitarist and singer Misha Lindes, who doubles as both the runaway’s accomplice and foil that ultimately leads her on the path to becoming a true anti-heroine.
Along with his co-starring role, Lindes also had a hand in developing the concept behind the visual with clear inspirations to match.
"I always imagined Chlorine as this John Waters trailer park princess,” Lindes tells Billboard. “When [director Nathan Castiel] and myself first got together to brainstorm video ideas, we started working on this crime caper between lovers, in which ultimately Chlorine has a plan of her own, casts her spell and leaves her lover in the dust.”
The band’s soulful, analog sound lends itself to plenty of natural visual cues in the video’s retro aesthetic, punctuated by the coarse presentation on 16mm film. Lindes credits “obsessively” listening to Otis Redding’s “Cigarettes & Coffee” as a launching point for the song’s bittersweet tenderness, which he sees as a counterpoint to “classic love songs which feature a ‘femme fatale’ archetype.”
Though no one comes out completely clean, “Chlorine” captures the heart of SadGirl’s music: sweet sincerity with a touch of danger that makes one long for a dirt bike and the open road.
“Chlorine” arrives on SadGirl’s debut album Water, out June 14 via Suicide Squeeze.
Watch the video for below and check out the band’s upcoming tour dates after the jump.
Tour Dates:
May 3 --Tampa, FL @ Crowbar *
May 4 -- Orlando, FL @ Soundbar *
May 5 -- Hollywood, FL @ Hollywood Arts Park *
May 7 -- Charleston, SC @ The Pour House *
May 9 -- Asheville, NC @ Salvage Station *
May 24 -- Reno, NV @ Holland Project
May 25 -- Davis, CA @ ORMF
* with Chicano Batman