This past summer was a difficult one on the streets and roads of Toronto, with at least 32 pedestrians and five cyclists killed by motorists in 2018 so far, according to the Toronto Star. Toronto indie pop quartet Future Peers have tackled the crisis head-on with their new video for "Lines," a track from their upcoming I'm Sorry EP, due November 2 on Garment District Records.
Written initially about the feeling of loss after a breakup, the band were inspired to focus on the cyclist death crisis for the video after friend and collaborator Adrijan Assoufi stumbled upon a ghost bike rally, a bike ride memorial for a slain cyclist. A similar rally is depicted in the "Lines" video, which Assoufi directed.
"I couldn't stop thinking about [the rally] for days and that's when I called up the team to open up a conversation about this issue," says Assoufi to Exclaim! "The song is about loss and a desire to start over, so we wanted to focus on these emotions through the story of a young man who goes through stages of grief after losing a loved one. We also wanted to explore masculine vulnerability through this grief."
Adds band member Luke Correia-Damude, "A friend of mine lost his wife recently in a devastating accident. She was on her way to pick up her son from school when the incident occurred. This is a very real and serious issue that needs to be taken seriously. Our hope is that this video can draw some attention to the situation. We are in a state of emergency. Education and awareness is key."
The band see the video as a call to action for Toronto legislators to improve cycling infrastructure in the city. "We wanted to present something that might break through to those drivers who behave recklessly, those auto-centric people who vote for government that would see the bike lanes erased and the safety level come down," says band member Mike Lobel.
Adds Assoufi, "We hope this video continues to drive and foster important dialogues with the groups involved with the crisis in Toronto, and other urban areas that are lacking cycling infrastructure. It's up to the municipality to take action to build safer streets for its people, including cyclists."
Watch the music video for "Lines" below.
Written initially about the feeling of loss after a breakup, the band were inspired to focus on the cyclist death crisis for the video after friend and collaborator Adrijan Assoufi stumbled upon a ghost bike rally, a bike ride memorial for a slain cyclist. A similar rally is depicted in the "Lines" video, which Assoufi directed.
"I couldn't stop thinking about [the rally] for days and that's when I called up the team to open up a conversation about this issue," says Assoufi to Exclaim! "The song is about loss and a desire to start over, so we wanted to focus on these emotions through the story of a young man who goes through stages of grief after losing a loved one. We also wanted to explore masculine vulnerability through this grief."
Adds band member Luke Correia-Damude, "A friend of mine lost his wife recently in a devastating accident. She was on her way to pick up her son from school when the incident occurred. This is a very real and serious issue that needs to be taken seriously. Our hope is that this video can draw some attention to the situation. We are in a state of emergency. Education and awareness is key."
The band see the video as a call to action for Toronto legislators to improve cycling infrastructure in the city. "We wanted to present something that might break through to those drivers who behave recklessly, those auto-centric people who vote for government that would see the bike lanes erased and the safety level come down," says band member Mike Lobel.
Adds Assoufi, "We hope this video continues to drive and foster important dialogues with the groups involved with the crisis in Toronto, and other urban areas that are lacking cycling infrastructure. It's up to the municipality to take action to build safer streets for its people, including cyclists."
Watch the music video for "Lines" below.
