Singer-songwriter Harrison Whitford has already captured our ears and our hearts with his beautifully sweet and tender love song “Secret Garden,” and now he’s giving his powerful music a new twist with a captivating music video inspired by no one. other than “The Shining”.

for fans of Phoebe Bridgers, Iron & Wine, Ethan Gruska, Tom Iansek, Laura Stevenson

Stream: “Secret Garden” – Harrison Whitford

JThe stress of writing unproductive songs and the frustration of writer’s block can all too easily overwhelm the creative mind; fortunately it is only (To our knowledge) in the cinematic universe that this takes a deadly turn. Singer-songwriter Harrison Whitford has already captured our ears and our hearts with his beautifully sweet and tender love song “Secret garden“, and now he’s putting a new spin on his powerful music with a captivating music video inspired by the brilliant.

Watch a meltdown go manic in three minutes of lush, enveloping indie folk brimming with raw, painfully intimate and vulnerable emotion.

live alone in a rented mansion
here in laurel canyon
I would like you to come visit me
we could go swimming

in the ray of sunshine
I love watching you
it is easy to do
in the sun I like to watch you
it is easy to do

Atwood Magazine is proud to preview the Michael Erik Nikolla-directed music video for “Secret Garden”, one of the most notable songs from Harrison Whitford’s second album, Afraid of nothing. Released November 12, 2021 via Screwdriver Records, Afraid of nothing is an enchanting and moving world unto itself: escapism and indulgence all rolled into one, filled with sonic wonder and poetic introspection. Guitarist for Phoebe Bridgers and Matt Berninger, Whitford revealed himself as a standalone talent late last year with an emotionally vulnerable and musically lush indie folk record of self-reflection and connection, account with the surrounding world and count with yourself.

“A soothing and tranquil alternative album filled with emotional turbulence and existential searching, Afraid of nothing is, in a word, breathtaking,” the writer previously wrote in Atwood magazineof the 2021 Albums of the Year feature. “It’s an enviable and laudable reintroduction to Harrison Whitford, who has re-emerged this fall with his own multi-faceted artistry in full bloom.”

After 2018 Afraid of everything, Afraid of nothing feels familiar and comfortable: Whitford’s words take us deep into his mind, while his sparse but lively instrumental work feels equally close and within reach. As understated and understated as it is rich and colorful, this album offers solace and catharsis: the inspiration of an exposed soul.

Nowhere does this exhibition of the soul shine brighter than on the album’s penultimate closing track, “Secret Garden.”

A fitting finale (followed only by the cinematic instrumental “The End”), “Secret Garden” showcases Harrison Whitford’s ability to mix hauntingly subtle touch with undeniably and irresistibly catchy melodies. It’s a soft, expansive indie folk song that wraps the ears like a blanket might the body, enveloping us, warming us and drawing us deep into the world of Whitford.

“It’s the only love song I’ve ever written that I haven’t hated,” Whitford said. Atwood magazine in a special track-by-track feature released last year. “The character of the song is a rich, lonely man who has nothing to do but pine for someone from his huge, obnoxious mansion, which brings him no joy if it’s without someone.” one to share it with.” We hear this story play out words full of longing and possibility, laced with a certain substantial sadness:

we could go sit in the secret garden
it’s right next to the guest apartment
we could go watch your favorite movie
there is a popcorn machine and a big screen

in the dark i like to watch you
it is easy to do
in the dark i like to watch you
it is easy to do

Granted, “Secret Garden” is an unlikely soundtrack to a psychological horror film, but director Michael Erik Nikolla makes it work – striking a balance between horror and levity, and in turn crafting a short visual that leaves viewers satisfied, albeit with a few unanswered. questions and a healthy minimum of mystery.

As Whitford himself explains, “Inspired by the brilliantdirected by Michael Erik Nikolla and written by myself and Jacob Jeffries, this video follows me as I hate how easily Jacob Jeffries writes the melody in his head, and ends up taking sinister and murderous action.

When it comes to envying musical writing, one cannot help but think of 18th century composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri; how the two were (perceived as) rivals to the general public and scholars in their time, and how rumors spread of Mozart’s murder at the hands of Salieri after the former’s death in 1791. In “Secret Garden” , we watch a frustrated Whitford struggle with his own writer’s block, venting his emotions first on his instruments – furiously playing drums and banging piano – until he has a shovel in his hand, then, Jeffries’ lyric sheet on his bed. Director Nikolla plays with the viewers perspective, giving us only one piece of the puzzle so our imaginations can run wild and wild.

It might not be the music video fans expect to accompany such a delicate and truly beautiful love song, but “Secret Garden” keeps us hooked while undeniably adding new dimensions to the song’s narrative.

Stream Harrison Whitford’s ‘stunning’ new music video exclusively on Atwood magazineand be sure to listen Afraid of nothing in full: Intimate and brooding, it’s a musical fire that more than deserved mention as one of the best albums of last year, and it remains as seductive and soulful now as it was when its initial release. There’s no denying Harrison Whitford’s talents, and we can’t wait to hear (and see) where he goes next.

everyday i wake up in a king size bed
and the curtains are blue and the walls are red
I would like to know where I was
so you can come here and stay awhile

but i’m a liar when i look at you
it is easy to do
i’m a liar when i look at you
it is easy to do
in the sun I like to watch you
it is easy to do
in the sun I like to watch you
it is easy to do

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:: flow/purchase Afraid of nothing here ::

Stream: “Secret Garden” – Harrison Whitford

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📸 © Michael Erik Nikolla

:: Flow Harrison Whitford ::