Some of the most memorable music videos are actually fully realized short films. They include a narrative arc, stylish visuals that set the mood, well-rounded characters, and dialogue to move the story forward. Examples include Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”.
This month, award-winning Canadian folk musician Tennyson King (百城) released a heartbreaking, narrative short film that doubles as a music video for “Good Intentions”. It’s his second single on his forthcoming album, 100 Cities.
Directed and filmed by Vancouver cinematographer Ewan Mac, “Good Intentions” is a star-crossed love story between a nomadic musician, played by King, and his girlfriend, played by Toronto actor and musician Violet Grace (恩紫怡).
King, a nomadic musician himself, says that “Good Intentions” was inspired by a relationship that ended despite love and sincere aims. The Hong Kong–born and Mississauga-raised musician points out that sometimes, even when a person is deeply in love, that’s not enough to transcend distance and circumstances.
“I felt like for the first time in a long time, I had the intention to be with this person for the long run,” King states in a news release announcing the single. “But despite that, timing can sometimes decide for us.”
Mac filmed the picturesque music video around Taipei and nearby seaside Tamsui District in northern Taiwan. Earlier this year, King and Grace were in the Taiwanese capital to play the Jade Music Fest in Asia.
Check out the video below.
Watch the Ewan Mac-directed video (above) for “Good Intentions”.
King plays guitar and zhongruan
Grace has acted in several short films, and she delivers a powerhouse performance in “Good Intentions” as a young woman in love.
The song itself is a lush musical production, reflecting King’s passion for integrating Chinese instruments into highly hummable western indie-music melodies. King’s vocals shine, rising above the song’s rich instrumental palette. The songwriter also plays acoustic and electric guitar, as well as the zhongruan, a traditional Chinese plucked four-string instrument with 24 frets.
The song features Lina Cao (曹丽娜) on guzheng, Snow Bai (白雪) on erhu, Lilian Yang (杨小磊) on pipa, and Dora Wang (王平) on dizi. Meanwhile, King’s longtime collaborator and co-producer, Dan Hosh, plays organ and Rhodes on “Good Intentions”. Peter Landi is the drummer, with John Dinsmore on bass and Rebekah Hawker providing background vocals.
Mac also directed the video for King’s “Big Mountain High (大山高)”—the first single on 100 Cities. It, too, integrated Chinese instrumentation with western music.
“We wanted to take the traditional Chinese elements but keep a modern western folk pop style of production,” King explains in this Pancouver article. “Traditional Chinese music isn’t usually played to a metronome. The timing is more free because it’s about expression.”
Watch the Ewan Mac-directed video (above) for “Big Mountain High (大山高)”.
Tennyson King will perform at Guilt & Co. (1 Alexander Street) in Gastown on Thursday (July 16). He will also perform in downtown Duncan, B.C. as part of the free 39 Days of July Cowichan Summer Festival on Tuesday (July 14) and Wednesday (July 15). Then on Friday (July 17), King will perform at the Harrison Festival of the Arts. For tickets and more information, visit Tennyson King’s website.
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