Premiere | Brittany Collins : Somebody
Photo by Zach Moffatt
Today we’re debuting the video of “Somebody,” a single from Brittany Collins’ album, Things I Tell My Therapist. In case you missed it, the album was released in September of this year. “Somebody” is the final single off the album and it’s one that speaks to childhood trauma, and processing that as an adult, while learning that where you came from and what you have experienced doesn’t have to define you. You can become the person you want to be, in spite of everything that you’ve experienced.
Although “Somebody” is full of thoughtful lyrics, this is the one that stands out and speaks to me:
“If you’re a late bloomer and an old soul, if you’re always looking for change, but you’re scared to let go. If you’re the bravest coward that I ever will meet, if that sounds like you, then maybe you’re a little like me”
The video blends snippets of Collins during live performances with material shot for the video. It gives the video a very personal and almost voyeuristic view of Collins journey as a songwriter and performer, which lends itself to the “here are things I share with my therapist, but these are things you should know about me too” vibe. Collins had this to say about the concept behind the video for “Somebody,” “When we set out to record this music video I enlisted the help of my friend Zach Moffatt, who is an incredibly talented filmmaker and photographer who works with some amazing bands. We met over coffee to outline the story and immediately knew that we wanted the video to visually represent my own growth as an artist. It starts with me alone, sitting around a fire, writing songs in my house, and builds to that moment I'm on stage with my band. It shows the dichotomy of creative life. We thrive off of community and collaboration, but so often that journey starts alone, in a room, with an idea and a chord progression.”
Collins hails from the Pacific Northwest and didn’t begin dipping her toe into live performances until she was in her twenties. She attributes most of her success as an artist to her supportive community and also incorporates the people and places that are the most important to her into this video. “This video is truly a visual representation of what "home" means to me. It was filmed at my favorite place in the world, my home nestled in the trees on the side of a mountain, and at one of the first local theaters I ever performed in as a kid trying to shake off deeply entrenched stage fright. The Historic Lincoln Theater in Mount Vernon, Washington was kind enough to volunteer their stage and I couldn't be more grateful to them for their support. I credit any success I've had to the little community that has supported me, the bars that booked me when I was still an unsure girl with a guitar and a few songs, the people that packed into tents with space heaters and blankets to watch me perform outside in March when the world was shut down and I wasn't sure if live music would ever be a reality again. Ultimately, this song and this video is a love letter to that community. Without them I don't know where I would be.”
Collins shares personal lessons she’s learned throughout her life and with the world within her music. While acknowledging the people and places that brought her to this point and how she’s overcome her own trauma , “Somebody” may not be the typical feel-good story we all love this time of year, but Collins has written a deeply personal song about the power we all have within us to grow and overcome what we face as human beings.
Watch the premiere of the single, “Somebody”