It wasn’t too long ago that we were singing the praises of Leura, a talented Sydney songwriter whose debut release Creature of Sight managed to establish itself as an authority on heartbreak. If you haven’t done so already be sure to visit her SoundCloud to have a listen. The melodies are haunting and dramatic whilst the lyrics are brimming with poetic notions. Creature of Sight concerns itself with a narrative of an individual’s emotional journey, as Leura herself puts it “The emotional cycle between the ‘hunter’ and the ‘bleeder'”. Skeleton Swoon is the halfway point of that cycle, and we see all those themes come together in its new video.
The authority on heartbreak Leura delivers an appropriately dramatic video for Skeleton Swoon, a clip bathed in darkness and fire.
As it stands Skeleton Swoon is one of the most interesting songs on the album. It is less concerned with heartbreak and is far more subtle in how it conveys its messages. Leura’s voice trembles softly, as though it is a shadow of a whisper. The quivering guitars and fluttering drums set the anxious atmosphere well, the glockenspiel proving to be the main draw as it trickles throughout the track. It is indeed a song about transformation, every bit delicate as it is empowering.
Translating the metaphor to film wouldn’t be an easy task, so props are due to cinematographers and directors L Wood and Diana Popovska from Good Style Productions. The sense of drama and tension are established quickly with the setting of the video taking place on a beach late at night. The location of the beach is significant. It’s a place that sits between the sea and land, a place akin to purgatory if you will. It’s a good setting for Skeleton Swoon, a song that is all about the metamorphosis from one entity into another.
Adding to the sense of drama is the fire twirlers from Spynferno. Their presence is intimidating to say the least as they wield the fire in an enchanting fashion. With the video filmed in the dead of night the fire is the only source of light, resulting in heavy shadows and adding to the air of tension. As the fire’s light pierce’s the dark abyss Leura steps forward as the ‘hunter’ bearing witness as the ‘bleeder’ (also played by Leura) emerges from the depths of the sand. As the song builds to its climax the two confront one another in an appropriately sensational fashion.
While at times it all feels a little too melodramatic, within the context of Creature of Sight‘s narrative it feels right. It makes you wonder what an entire short film based on the album would be like; a visual exploration of melancholy and coping with such feelings would be a visceral thing to witness. On its own the film for Skeleton Swoon is an intriguing piece of art that examines the struggles of the inner self and the sacrifices one makes to change. Hopefully we’ll get to see Leura and her fire twirlers in a live setting soon.
