A new video has been released for Jehnny Beth’s poignant track French Countryside, taken from her critically-acclaimed debut solo album To Love Is To Live. The track was written in collaboration with The XX’s Romy Madley Croft and long-time co-creator / video director Johnny Hostile.
The wistful, minimalistic video displays Jehnny Beth alone under a stark spotlight, emphasising her vulnerability as she bares her deepest thoughts to the viewer.
Jehnny Beth explains: “I almost didn’t put it on the record because it is so close to the bone it almost feels too self indulgent, but it was my intention to write a song that felt more vulnerable than anything I had ever written before.”
“Romy was a huge influence for me to be able to do that. It’s a promise song, I wrote the verses on a plane as I was convinced it was going to crash. I was making promises to myself about what I was going to do differently if I survived. Death has been very present in my mind during the process of writing this record. It all started around Bowie’s death.”
Jehnny Beth has also released a collection of short stories, Crimes Against Love Memories (C.A.L.M), alongside a limited edition art book of photographs taken by Johnny Hostile on July 9 via White Rabbit.
Watch the video for French Countryside below:
