The Decemberists have released a video for Once in My Life.
The song features on the band’s recent album ‘I’ll Be Your Girl’, while the clip is a collaboration with director Autumn de Wilde. It stars her brother, Jacob. In a statement, she said:
My brother Jacob is 7’2”.
His feet are size 22.
He has Auditory Processing Disorder.
He likes to dress up as Chewbacca.
He is not a basketball player.
This video is my love letter to him.
My mother said to me recently when we were talking about the way the people tend to react to Jacob, someone who looks and sounds extraordinarily different from their opinion of what normal is: “When we see someone new or different, we have to stop thinking about ourselves for a moment in order to really experience them. As humans, we tend to want to put our fingerprints all over other people.
The Decemberists’ song “Once In My Life” is the song I needed when I was young…. when I felt stared at, mocked or unseen for my heart and mind. Jacob also had an immediate emotional reaction to the song when I played it for him the first time. I had been wanting to explore a creative collaboration with my brother for a while, and this was the perfect song.
I have a very strong connection to Hank Meloy, Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis’ son, who is autistic. He has very much inspired my mind and imagination as an artist and a thinker. Although Jacob and Hank’s bodies and diagnosis are very different, Jacob, Hank and all of us who look different, sound different, or think different have a connection in our experience of otherness. There are many of us who feel sometimes like we live in a sort of dollhouse for the wrong doll but our perspective can shift dramatically when we realize, in fact, that our difference has simply redefined the space we are in. My brother is in his 40’s and his long journey to achieve the comfort and understanding in how he moves, communicates and connects to others is inspiring to me. Self-love and acceptance are the real superpowers waiting for all of us.
Everyone featured in the video and working on the crew is a friend who gave 100% to this project. I wanted Jacob to be surrounded by friends who were committed to helping him tell this story, but also create a safe space for Jacob, which changed our pace and usual process for filmmaking. It was thrilling as a director and a sister to challenge Jacob and myself. I am honored to have put the spotlight on him, watched my brother flourish as an artistic human onscreen and show us how gorgeous different is.
The Decemberists will return to the UK and Ireland in November for shows alongside Hop Along in Dublin, Glasgow, London, Bristol, Leeds, Nottingham and Manchester.
The Decemberists Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Sun November 04 2018 - DUBLIN Vicar Street
Mon November 05 2018 - GLASGOW O2 Academy Glasgow
Wed November 07 2018 - LONDON Eventim Apollo
Thu November 08 2018 - BRISTOL O2 Academy Bristol
Sat November 10 2018 - LEEDS O2 Academy Leeds
Sun November 11 2018 - NOTTINGHAM Rock City
Mon November 12 2018 - MANCHESTER Albert Hall
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