Posted by Irish singer-songwriter Paddy Hanna takes to the stage in his talent show framed new music video for his moving new single ‘Yoko Ono’, the second from his upcoming new album Imagine I’m Hoping, which is scheduled for release in Autumn.
Inspired by the trappings of imposter syndrome and a crisis of identity, the video (directed and edited by Alex Lynch and Liam Farrell) pays resemblance to Guillermo Del Torro’s Oscar-nominated carnival neo-noir Nightmare Alley, with its eeries use of black and white textures and audience close-ups creating a sense of fear and foreboding for its protagonist.
“I feel the directors and crew captured the fear, anxiety and joyful absurdity of a performer’s life,” Hanna explains of the video’s inspiration. “Perhaps the most concerning part is that despite the video’s peculiarities, it mirrors reality to an almost uncomfortable degree.”
Paddy Hanna makes no bones about the fact that he is a huge film buff and that his critically acclaimed music is as much inspired by the screen and stage as it is by musical greats such as Burt Bacharach, who he supported when the icon toured Ireland in 2019.
‘Yoko Ono’ was released as a single last month and was met with acclaim both in Ireland and abroad, with its upbeat tone reassuringly masking its off kilter instrumentation; something that fans of Hanna’s work since his 2014 debut album ‘Leafy Stiletto’ have become accustomed to over the years.
“The song started as an improvised rap about Mike Love from The Beach Boys, and over time it mutated into a cheerful bop about an identity crisis,” Hanna adds of the track. “There isn’t a day where I don’t feel like an imposter, so why not write a catchy tune about it.”
‘Yoko Ono’ is Hanna’s second single of the year, following the most successful single of Hanna’s career so far in the anthemic ‘New York Sidewalk’ in February. It’s the perfect introduction to what’s set to be a summer of Hanna, as he gears up for the release of his fourth album Imagine ‘I’m Hoping’ in Autumn.
Tune in now.
Words: Cailean Coffey
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