Holly Wellington (aka Holysseus Fly) had one take, live vocals and a dream, all culminating in the ambitious, blue-hued video for her latest single, “Out Of This World.” The song was written about dreaming of a big, delicious future and being open to all that future can hold. The singer pushed her boundaries with her creative team for the visuals, highlighting the “team that has been with me on the journey.”
“Shooting the video in one take and singing a live vocal [was the most challenging part],” she tells PAPER. “We had to rehearse and rehearse. If one small thing was out of place we’d have to start again.” Still, the final product showcases an artist with no intention of backing down from a creative challenge. “I’ve always had strong visual expression,” she says. “I love to paint and put myself in a visual world within my music.”
The track, which starts with Wellington singing clearly over sonics that mimic a heartbeat, follows the release of her debut EP, last year’s Birthpool. Below, she shares how the song and video came to be as well as exclusive BTS photos with PAPER.
What was the inspiration behind "Out Of This World"?
I wrote "Out Of This World" right after I went on my first writing camp. I had all these chords and melody ideas running through my head when I sat back at the piano at home. I was feeling inspired and really hopeful for what the future could hold. It’s really a love song. It's my mantra to manifest good things to go "out of this world." But also understanding that there are things I can’t control. The repeating line "the blue" is the mystery of it all. I’m always inspired by nature in my lyrics; the ocean as a metaphor for life is something I often come back to. The vastness of the ocean, the vastness of life.
How did you convey that in the music video?
The video is like a behind-the-scenes video that turns into my dream gig. I wanted to shine a light on the team that has been with me on the journey and given me hope (though there are many more not in the video!). A blue light is cast over all of us and everyone is dressed in blue, like we’re submerged in the ocean. There are little nuggets of references to previous work, too. It was amazing to work with my sister Amy Wellington, who came up with the concept, and long-time collaborator Jack Lilley as co-directors. This video was made possible by Sound and Music. Together, I think we conveyed the sentiment of the song together in quite a unique way.
What was the most challenging aspect of bringing the visuals to life?
We shot the video in one take and sang a live vocal. We had to rehearse and rehearse — if one small thing was out of place, we’d have to start again. It took patience and a lot of energy! James Vine was the drummer, sound engineer, and also co-producer with me on the track. Jack Lilley had the idea that we could put everyone in silent disco headphones so we could record my voice. It worked really well! The take we took was the penultimate one from the day and I feel we really nailed it. I’d just finished a support tour with Nick Mulvey, so I’d sung the song every night for a week, so vocally I was feeling okay but technically there was a lot to arrange.
What inspires you when it comes to visual art?
I want to feel free to express myself in ways that feel honest and true to the sentiment of my music. Visually I want to put myself within the metaphors of the song’s meanings. For the gig scene backdrop, I painted this calico material with Brook Tate — it’s the material I used in my music video for “Bloom.” We put the song on repeat and let loose painting abstract oceanic brush strokes. I love to create abstract paintings to music; it’s another one of my outlets. I’ve always had strong visual expression, I love to paint and put myself in a visual world within my music.
What are you excited to share with fans next?
I’ve just finished an artist residency at Snape Maltings with the show team: James Vine, Bethany Kyle, Lucie Bowles, Brook Tate and Sarah Fielding. I can't wait to perform the next era of my live show; Bristol Forwards Festival will be the one!
How do you want your fans to feel after they see the video?
I want people to feel uplifted to believe that anything is possible and empowered to make the choices in their life that really set them free.
Photography: Giulia Spadafora
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