“Heaven Rain” is symbolic of the blessings that one
receives throughout their life. Just like raindrops do not hit the ground at
the same time, good fortune does not come all at once. In many places, a
drought often precedes rain. It is my personal belief that all blessings come
from God, hence the title of this song.
The music video echoes this. A man wakes
up in a state of limbo finding that he has recently passed away. This troubles
him. While he is exploring his new surroundings, he finds a book full of
gratitude entries. He learns that without gratitude, the only road is misery. Determined
to make the most of his new “life” he decides to take on the role of a guardian
angel.
I wanted this video to touch people
that have lost loved ones and feel unsure about their state or condition.
Behind the Scenes Video
Composition
This piece was one of the first, if not the first, I wrote,
dating back to 2009. I had just discovered Audacity, a free recording program,
and was experimenting with it. I thought it was the coolest thing how you could
record something, and then add a layer to it. I was a complete noob.
Because I was recording layers upon layers of
whatever popped into my head, the composition itself isn’t very strong. After
“Heaven Rain” was composed I struggled naming it. One of my ideas was to click
the random article link on Wikipedia and title it after whatever article popped
up. The first article was something along the lines of “Columba Inornata (Plain
Pidgeon)” something, which didn’t fit. After listening to the song several more
times I realized that it sounded like rain drops.
The
Recording Process
“Heaven Rain” was recorded several times: first with
Audacity in my bedroom at the time of composition, second with a new program I
had purchased later, and finally professionally with Jason Jones of Art City
Sound.
Rain effects were added to create a more ambient sound.
I was also planning on a music video in the future that would involve scenes of
rain and time lapse of a storm. The problem was when it came to shoot the music
video, it didn’t go exactly as planned.
The
Music Video
Previous Attempts:
This video was actually attempted a number of times
with different concepts. It was only after I decided to have it be a bridge
between the storytelling in “Bestia” and “Breath and Dust” did it finally work.
The first attempt at a concept came shortly after I
wrote the song, and was simple enough. I wanted shots of rain, and perhaps rain
drops falling onto the corresponding guitar strings and frets. I contacted
filmmaker Devan Graham (known as “devansupertramp” on YouTube) but after receiving
a response I realized that I wouldn’t be able to afford his services. I’m glad
that it worked out this way because this was years ago – before I even wrote
most of the songs on the album. I wasn’t ready at that point, and the recording
wasn’t professional.
My second attempt came years later in 2014 shortly
after the album was finished. I covered my hands in paint and turned the
sprinkler on. I filmed my hands doing a sort of interpretive dance. It was
actually posted onto YouTube and received a lot of confused responses. My film
work wasn’t great either, and that is when I knew I couldn’t do this by myself.
I needed a professional.
After searching online for a great cinematographer, I
came across some videos done by Eric Thayne from Celadora Studios in Provo,
Utah. The videos he did were high quality and I was sure it would fit the
music. Before committing however, I got some feedback on my music from some
professionals in the industry. If I was going to film a video I wanted it to be
for a good song. We decided to shoot “Breath and Dust.” After a good experience
and turn out, the rest is history.
The Real Thing:
“Heaven Rain” is the third music video I filmed with
Eric. Because it is the third track on
Lullabied, I needed it to bridge the story gap between “Bestia,” “Breath and Dust,” and in the future, “Here Comes Destiny.” Over the past few months I’ve created a main storyline that will take place across the whole album.
Lullabied, I needed it to bridge the story gap between “Bestia,” “Breath and Dust,” and in the future, “Here Comes Destiny.” Over the past few months I’ve created a main storyline that will take place across the whole album.
In
this particular video, a man, recently deceased, encounters his tombstone and is
troubled at his new state. He seems to be in some sort of frozen
paradise/limbo. He seems to be alone and explores his surroundings. He gather s
materials to build a shelter. He finds a book buried in the sand. Upon reading
it, he finds that it is filled with entries about gratitude. He realizes he
should be grateful for the life he lived and his new “life”. He writes his own
gratitude entry and places it in a bottle. Deciding to become a guardian angel
of sorts, he ventures out onto the lake, crossing back over into the land of
the living (cue “Breath and Dust”).
As I mentioned earlier, the original
recording includes ambient rain in the background. Our plan was to film the
entire video in rain. I had rented equipment to make this possible, but when I
woke up the day of the shoot, it was snowing. It wasn’t very surprising, as it
was the last few days of November. I had been checking the weather previously
and snow wasn’t expected. Ultimately, I decided to shoot the video anyway. The
snow actually helped convey that the main character was in a sort of
heaven-like place so it worked.
Rick, who plays the main character,
was a great sport. I had him walking around barefoot in the snow, and even the
icy lake at one point. We were constantly putting blankets and hand warmers on
his feet to keep him warm. He walked away from the shoot with numbness and
minor cuts from the ice, but he recovered the next day.
Family, friends, and fans wrote the
gratitude entries in the journal. I wanted to include as many languages as I
could so that if the camera showed any of them, more people would feel
connected the story. The same holds true for the guitar.
I “revisited” the abandoned house
shown in “Breath and Dust” for the guitar performance. I had planned to have my
sword with me, but unfortunately it was left in a separate car with other
props. It was bitter cold; 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-6 Celsius). Because of this,
we could only spend about ten minutes filming. It was unfortunate because the
performance could have been a lot better.
The guitar was one of the coolest
things I’ve made. I found it, a regular looking piece of wood, in a Pawn Shop.
After painting it white and distressing it, I decided to burn words into it.
Some of the words are “heaven,” “rain,” “grace,” “revitalization,” and “power.”
When one expresses gratitude, the latter three seem to take precedence in his
life as well as happiness.
Symbolism
in the Music Video
1. White scenery – This is to suggest a state
of limbo that the main character is in. It could also suggest that because of a
sacrifice he made, which ultimately ended his life, he is in paradise (even
though it’s a frozen one…).
2. White body paint – White is often accepted
as a symbol of innocence, purity, and faith. In this particular video it is
associated with an angelic state.
3. The Lake – In a Christian sense, this body
of water can be viewed a baptism, or being born again. Shedding of those things
that make us weaker. Cleansing. Making promises to God to be a better person.
The lake here is frozen. It is my personal belief that when one passes away,
they are the same person that they were when they were alive. However, they
still have the opportunity to commit to being a better person. However, if they
choose to make this commitment through baptism they could not because they do
not have a body of flesh and bones. In my religion – The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints, we perform baptisms for the dead. We are baptized in the
name of someone that has passed. Then in the spirit world, this person can
either accept or deny the baptism that was done for them. Again noting the lake
as a symbol for cleansing, it would make sense that it was frozen over. The
main character is dead. He would not be able to enter the water himself and be
baptized. It might be a stretch – but it makes sense to me. After all, it is my
video. J
4. A stuffed animal, or monster. I call this
the Bestia, which is Spanish for “beast.” The Bestia represents weaknesses,
struggles, temptations, and even wrong-doings. These things you battle daily
inside of yourself. In this video, it represents death, something we all will
face one day. Some may accept it, others may be troubled by it, as is the main
character at first. This Bestia also represents the misery that comes from being
ungrateful.
5. The shelter. Made from materials found on
the beach, the man constructs a shelter, suggesting that he is coming to terms
with his new state of being.
6. The journal. The journal represents the happiness
that comes from recognizing your blessings. It is worn and has clearly been
through a lot. However, if there is mention of misery in this journal, the
entry probably further explains how this misery helped the person become
stronger, better, and more grateful for what they have.
