“Choke” on Conjurer’s New Music Video
Now that we’re closing in on the holiday season, it’s important to remember that it’s cool to be thankful all the time, not just when we’re inhaling cranberry sauce with our eyes glued to the Annual Balloons and Commentary Extravaganza Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Gratitude is a simple habit I’ve been practicing that really helps keep the everyday misery and existential dread in check. Obviously, I’m thankful for my friends and family and health and blah blah blah, but one thing for which I’m incredibly grateful is the fact that I’m not on camera every second of every goddamn day. How intrusive! Nobody needs to know I woke up in a dumpster this morning except you and me.
Conjurer’s new music video “Choke” addresses exactly that: the suffocating experience of having one’s entire shitty life on film for the world to gawk at. They commented to Metal Hammer:
“‘Choke’ is about the gutter press and the toll it takes on people in the public eye. It’s commonplace now for people of a high profile to be swarmed and harassed by cameras and microphones at every turn, invading their everyday lives, and such occurrences often have long-lasting and damaging effects.
“After watching the documentary, Amy, it became very clear that media pressure and intrusion among other things became a major contributor in the death of a very fragile and gifted human being. Seeing how cruelly the media capitalise on people’s struggles for their own gain was sickening; how the press soon turned to quiet solemnity after years of exploitation and ridicule on their part struck an angry and resonant chord with us.
“With the video, we wanted to confront the notion of this slick, lifeless, staged ‘product’ that the media can turn musicians into, and put it in stark contrast to the raw reality that bands like us actually thrive in. The camera keeps rolling regardless of the wellbeing of the people it focuses on.”
That’s another thing I’m super thankful for — when bands have enough interesting shit to say that I don’t really have to do anything! So, without further ado, watch “Choke” below, order Mire here, and check out Conjurer’s UK tour dates with Conan after the video.
Conan / Conjurer UK Tour Dates:
23/11 – The Loft, Nottingham, UK
24/11 – Temple of Boom, Leeds, UK
26/11 – Audio, Glasgow, UK
27/11 – Rebellion, Manchester, UK
28/11 – The Arches, Coventry, UK
29/11 – Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, UK
30/11 – The Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes, UK
01/12 – Boston Music Rooms, London, UK
