Following the release of 2018's debut EP Funny Thing, Toronto's Wes Allen has shared a preview of new material to come with recent single "Garden," which has now been treated to a music video by Jack Harrison.
Allen — a collaborator of Daniel Caesar in his Freudian era — is joined by former Mauno member Eliza Niemi and BADBADNOTGOOD's Chester Hansen on the track, which finds the songwriter toying with the idea of starting a family.
Allen elaborated in a statement:
I always kind of figured I would, but I never actually felt like: Oh man this could be it. In terms of actually starting a family, I think about it sometimes, but no one's rushing into anything, nor do I feel ready to do that. I wrote the song because I felt different with this person than any relationship I'd had before.
"Garden" also touches on what it would be like to get old and die within a family and community, knowing that eventually, it won't be your world anymore, and that you'll have to relax and trust the people around you. Finally, it's about defending the garden, knowing that if we do this, this should come before our individual selves, and whatever happens, I'll stand with my family. It's a serious message, but is delivered in a playful way, with playful imagery. The child at the beginning is one of my old piano students. At the time he recorded that in 2015 he was seven years old and really concerned about whether or not he would make a good dad.
As for its visuals, Allen added that having a "turbulent childhood" found him "dealing with adult problems at a young age," and that he enjoys "mirroring this in [his] art by addressing adult issues through childlike imagery and perspective," having been inspired by the films of Wes Anderson and connecting with Harrison on '90s movies like Stuart Little.
Stay tuned for more on the horizon from Wes Allen, and in the meantime, check out his new video for "Garden" below.
Allen — a collaborator of Daniel Caesar in his Freudian era — is joined by former Mauno member Eliza Niemi and BADBADNOTGOOD's Chester Hansen on the track, which finds the songwriter toying with the idea of starting a family.
Allen elaborated in a statement:
I always kind of figured I would, but I never actually felt like: Oh man this could be it. In terms of actually starting a family, I think about it sometimes, but no one's rushing into anything, nor do I feel ready to do that. I wrote the song because I felt different with this person than any relationship I'd had before.
"Garden" also touches on what it would be like to get old and die within a family and community, knowing that eventually, it won't be your world anymore, and that you'll have to relax and trust the people around you. Finally, it's about defending the garden, knowing that if we do this, this should come before our individual selves, and whatever happens, I'll stand with my family. It's a serious message, but is delivered in a playful way, with playful imagery. The child at the beginning is one of my old piano students. At the time he recorded that in 2015 he was seven years old and really concerned about whether or not he would make a good dad.
As for its visuals, Allen added that having a "turbulent childhood" found him "dealing with adult problems at a young age," and that he enjoys "mirroring this in [his] art by addressing adult issues through childlike imagery and perspective," having been inspired by the films of Wes Anderson and connecting with Harrison on '90s movies like Stuart Little.
Stay tuned for more on the horizon from Wes Allen, and in the meantime, check out his new video for "Garden" below.
