Folk singer Marissa Nadler has paired up with fellow Bostonian musician/director Naomi Yang to craft a delicate and dreamy video of Nadler’s new single “Drive.”

After releasing the critically acclaimed LP July, Marissa Nadler has given the world images to go with the opening track “Drive”. The surreal video portraits the singer scanning through slides just before they are projected back at her. A personal and intimate idea.

Naomi Yang of Galaxie 500 directed the video and this is her insight:

As a musician I immediately connected to the emotional content of this song – especially as it starts with the very powerful first verse chronicling a discouraging night on the road: ‘If you ain’t made it now/you’re never going to make it/ Seventeen people in the dark tonight.’

The video tells the story of Marissa facing her own ambition – as well as her disappointments – but ultimately of her desire to reach people through her music. It’s presented as a series of metaphors, or a surreal dream, but one in which Marissa is an active participant in her future (not a passive witness) as she explores her feelings about making music.

Running through the song is the refrain ‘Nothing like the way it feels to drive,’ which made me think of the French artist Bernard Faucon, whose recent work is shot entirely from the front seat of a car as he travels all over the world. Bernard graciously allowed me to use excerpts of his footage – as he put it, ‘Yes, you can use my roads, they fit so well with Marissa’s song..

Nadler just started a European tour that will run all the way to September.

Check out “Drive” below.