Wearing rose-tinted glasses, Bambi O’Hara talks about her brooding new track 10:45 and her solace in films that unleash an obsession.
The cinematically lustrous artist, Bambi O’Hara, dives into the intricate themes riddled behind her single 10:45 and the neo-surrealist music video that accompanied it.
The sonically masterful visualiser delves into the subconscious intricacies behind the abstract lyrics of the tune and how films from explosive directors taught her to harness and magnify the disturbing concept of Obsession.
Surrender into Bambi O’Hara’s imaginative world of desire below:
Growing up and still to this day, I find solace in movies. I used to find myself feeling enormous wells of emotion, but couldn’t cry (maybe in shock, or because I was so stretched out emotionally). So, I’d find myself going to movies to push me to that point. Drama, Action and Rom-Coms wouldn’t cut it, so I started to search for more intense, surreal and even disturbing films.
I discovered mind-bending directors and filmmakers like David Lynch, Stanley Kubrick, Lars Von Trier and Darren Aronofsky! Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream, Mother!), really gave me that outlet I was seeking so desperately. On his films, he says; “when I go to the movies I generally want to be taken to another world” – this really stuck with me. I discovered I wanted to create music that did the same. Aronofsky says; “to me, watching a movie is like going to an amusement park. My worst fear is making a film that people don’t think is a good ride”, I resonate with this so much, because music connects us all by feeling. I want to create music that moves people.
Almost all of Aronofsky’s movies centre around Obsession. Where the main character is so obsessed with something, or someone, it’s to their detriment! I realised early on that my music carries that same theme. All of my music revolves around singing about someone I’m obsessed or in love with – everyone’s been there at some stage, right? Love, honesty and vulnerability, all are inescapably relatable. Whether it’s good or bad.
I think obsession can push people to a point of no return, where they don’t want to listen to what’s right or wrong. In 10:45, the chorus lyrics are “don’t tell me it’s too good, don’t tell me it’s too good, to be true” with the response lyrics in the background “tell me, tell me, tell me”, so it’s sort of like my subconscious wanting to be told the truth, but my infatuation is so strong, I don’t care.
The heart wants what it wants, whether it’s good or bad. In 10:45, I sing; “I had a look at heaven, and now I can’t live without it” this is pretty direct, in expressing how when you’re obsessed with something or someone, it really does feel like you can’t live without them.
I wanted to really capture this visually in the 10:45 music video. Obsession can be similar to having ‘rose-tinted glasses’ …but on steroids. I was inspired by Directors Lynch and Kubrick, masters of using colour to dominate an entire scene, to subliminally set the mood. Kubrick loves doing this! Especially in The Shining. In psychology, studies show that people make 90% of their snap decisions based on colour. I took inspiration from Lynch and Kubrick, and use different colours to really dominate each scene, channelling a colour for each emotion. Our wants, obsessions and desires are the driving force in people’s decision making, and I think it’s really important to listen to these obsessions, and find out why we are seeking them.
It is without question that Bambi O’Hara has brought her obsessive music to life with her visual mastery and her subliminally desirable lyrics. Have a watch of her 10:45 music video below:
