Juliet Simms releases “Trouble Finds You” video, talks getting in trouble while filming
Juliet Simms celebrated her birthday yesterday with the release of her grungy new music video for “Trouble Finds You.” The track comes from her latest EP, From The Grave, which you can pick up here. We caught up with Simms to talk about the aesthetic choices and meaning behind the video, the craziness of filming on public streets, her desire to help people with her music and what’s next in her career.
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Why did you choose “Trouble Finds You” for a music video? What does it mean to you?
I chose “TFY” as the video track because it holds great meaning to me, personally. The last few years have had their ups and downs for me, and where I stand now in 2017 is a place of clarity, health and total happiness. The truth is that life and all of our demons will eventually catch up with all of us emotionally, and what you do to change that and make things better is what really matters. I think this song speaks to that feeling, and I hope it helps people!
The video definitely has a throwback vibe to it. What inspired that?
Well, a lot of this video was heavily inspired by the grunge aesthetic of the '90s and the visual appeal they had and still have. As a child of that era, I grew up inheriting a lot of the fashion choices, music direction and how they went hand in hand. I think that comes through in this video quite a bit. I am such a student of fashion and have such a deep love for it and the value it holds for personal self-expression as an artist. Having the opportunity to show that in this video was amazing.
How did the concept come about? Were you part of that process?
Yes absolutely! I love the process of building something like this from scratch, and I was heavily involved in its creation along with the director Patrick Fogarty and my husband Andy [Biersack]. Conceptually, I think the song lends itself to the downtown Los Angeles vibe. The juxtaposition of the beauty of the lights and city and the raw ugly sewers, alleys and streets played well for me with the overall feeling that I think we were able to present with the lyrics and my style as a performer.
Any fun/crazy mishaps or stories from the shoot?
Well, given that we shot most of this video on the fly utilizing a few different handheld cameras, we were just roaming from location to location, which often left me “singing” in front of random people on the street or on the rooftop of a high rise building etc.—which we got kicked off of. [Laughs.] Also, we shot the bulk of this video on the day of the presidential inauguration, which also happened to be in the middle of a massive storm in LA, so between the protests and the rain we had to be careful about when and where we shot. [Laughs.] At the end of the day it all worked out though!
What's next for you?
Continuing to release material on a more consistent basis, honestly. As an independent artist, I want to use the platform I have to make sure my songs are heard. For me, it's about more than just putting things on the internet, though. My goal has always been to help people with my art, and I have been very lucky to have this career, so my intention is to continue to write and record as much as possible!
Watch more: APMAs 2015: Juliet Simms interviewed in the GIBSON Backstage Lounge
