Nobody’s Home, a Filipino alternative rock band, has presents the official music video for their new single “Cigarette Daydreams,” which is a rendition of Cage The Elephant’s 2014 chart-topping hit. The video, directed by Swimming Pictures’ Ysa Aranda, shows the promising band on a wild road trip, performing in front of a warehouse and escaping reality “to achieve peace of mind,” as the lyrics suggest.
Aranda says the inspiration for the music video came from her own personal experience, specifically the feeling of ease that comes with driving. “I needed to go on a drive and imagine events that would fit with the music.” Apart from the song’s lyrics, driving has helped me deal, especially during these tough times, which is why the MV includes driving sequences.”
The visual narrative of Jóhann Jóhannsson’s End Of Summer, a short video that stands as a document of a serene scenery in “one of the most vital and threatened locations of our planet,” inspired Aranda’s take on “Cigarette Daydreams.”
Paying homage and making it their own
The song was produced by Nobody’s Home and Ely Buendia, and its overall treatment maintains the melodic charm of the original, while incorporating ‘90s-sounding guitar-rock affair, candied pop hooks, and pulsating synths to the mix.
“Generally, we wanted to pay respects and keep the original vibe of the song,” Frontman and principal songwriter Eon Buendia explains. “We stuck to that nostalgic acoustic feeling for the verses while making it simpler in terms of instrumentals. But when it came to the choruses, that’s where we changed the vibe from the original’s lighter feeling to a darker and synth-y tone that is more akin to the sound of the band.”
Nobody’s Home strikes a balance between paying homage to the song and making it their own—a task that they supremely aced with conviction and confidence. “The main idea we had was that the verses would be simple and we wouldn’t add much to it in order to keep the spirit of the original, and then the choruses would be where we came in and do our thing,” Eon shares in a statement. “And then we put elements that we usually use when producing our personal tracks such as vocal layering, synthesizers, and lead guitar lines.”
Production notes
The track’s producer, Ely Buendia, also commends the alt-rock outfit’s dedication in upping the ante of their version, while retaining the song’s feel-good catharsis in the process. “I just trusted the boys’ musical instincts, knowing that their own personal preferences would make sure that this will not be a note for note translation.”
In terms of production, Ely points out, “we at least wanted the production to be gritty yet polished, if at all possible, to honor the vibe of the original.”
Nobody’s Home’s cover of Cage The Elephant’s “Cigarette Daydreams” is now available internationally via Sony Music Philippines on all digital music platforms. Here’s a link to the music video.
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