Grace Davies Paints with Light in Epic Performance for Latest Music Video

Grace Davies, Insomnia Music UK and Paper Sky Films have launched the music video for ‘Breathe’, a new track from the Grace’s latest EP release ‘It Wasn’t Perfect, But We Tried’, which launched on Friday, 14th of October, 2022. Filmed in Manchester, the music video was produced and directed by Paper Sky Films’ Adam Young.

“‘Breathe’ is about reclaiming your power,” as singer/songwriter Grace Davies says in her press statements. “It’s about taking all the shit that’s been thrown at you and owning it/turning it into something powerful. ‘The end of where you tear me apart’ - the start of a new beginning where I don’t let you control my life anymore. It’s a song I came back to five years after it was written, reflecting on everything I’ve been through as an independent artist and it means even more to me now than it did when I wrote it.”

The concept behind the video is simple: Grace Davies performs the song and gives her fans a taste of what’s to come at her live shows, by having the lights do what the music does; steadily increasing the visual intensity from verse to chorus and through to the end.

Shot on a brand-spanking new ALEXA 35 and anamorphic lenses, the video opens with a jazz bar, Film-Noir, femme fatale-inspired continuous shot of Grace, as the camera dollies around her, whilst her spotlight gradually gains brightness second-by-second. From there on, viewers are immersed in an intense and dramatic performance that becomes more epic as the song progresses. 

Understanding Grace and her management’s game plan, which is to get fans and viewers excited about seeing Grace Davies live on stage after a long hiatus from the touring due to Covid, Paper Sky Films’ director Adam Young wanted to use light as the set design itself and completely lean into the raw energy that happens in front of the camera. 

The end result delivers a simple but magnetic visual journey from the dark and slow opening to an increase in pacing as the lights grow brighter and the edit cuts faster, as each moment symbolises each lyric that Grace is passionately singing. 

With a modest budget, fast turnaround and limited production time, Adam Young and cinematographer, Jamie Haigherty, sought to create visual landmarks and chapters for the video.  Starting with locked off shots and smooth camera movements, to eventually putting the camera on Jamie’s shoulder as he follows Grace’s lead, to a slow-motion montage for the mid-eights, another locked off shot that dollies towards the singer for the bridge and into a firework display of bright visuals for the final chorus. 

“We wanted the music video look how the song sounds,” Adam Young explains.

“Rather than construct a set, the lights are the set. Shooting on the ALEXA 35 meant we got to truly capitalise on the colour palette, as well crunch down on the blacks and shadows in the opening shot. Along with the anamorphic lenses, we wanted the last chorus to feel as though the song is just too bright to contain and have shards of light and colours bursting out of every frame whilst Grace and her band do their thing.”

He adds: “We had a very limited budget and quick turnaround, all things considered, we’re happy with how it turned out, which is delivering a music video that treats audiences to a visual journey that makes them want to get up and dance around the room along with the song. So far, we’re loving the reactions she’s been getting from her fans - mission accomplished!”