New Music Video: Róisín O - Hold On

I feel the need to praise two works of art in this post.

Last night I was sent a preview of Irish singer Róisín O’s music video for her upcoming song Hold On. With only a short text to introduce me to this new artist from Dublin, I didn’t have any expectations. So I put on my headphones and watched a moving short film. Yes, you read it right.

Ever since outgrowing them, what I miss most about music videos are the stories they tell. This one brought me back to that time when everything felt younger, though what I was seeing on-screen was as old a story can be—about us in our everyday lives, reminiscent of Mike Leigh’s subjects. I couldn’t help that the film itself got my first attention.

We see a man with a military haircut wake up at 6:30 in the evening. We suppose he is of Brazilian ancestry because of the flag beside his dining table. There’s something written on his door. He works the night shift… Ahh, the details! Kudos to the director, Simon Eustace, and the cast, Aaron Heffernan (Love/Hate), Mirjana Rendulic, Geraldine McAlinden & Colin Condon.

And on with the music—the second work of art—which gave the film its atmosphere. I had to replay the video to listen to the song again, because the first time I was quite entranced.

The song opens quietly with a piano then gradually intensifies as the strings are added. Róisín O’s voice is bold and secure, a match for this equally powerful single about hopelessness. This is what Róisín O has to say about the song:

“Sometimes our minds take us to dark places and it gets hard to escape. A very close friend of mine was going through a tough time, as happens us all, and I found myself wanting, but unable, to help make things better for him. Sometimes all you can do for someone is to be there for them and let them know that things will get better one day. This song is for him.”

which finally gives us a definite meaning to the story. I was very pleased with the production that I had to check out her other works.