The US folk rock group The Lumineers just released a new music video for their song “Gloria” from their upcoming album titled III. The video is one of many as each song released off the album will have an accompanying video which will follow the story of the fictional Sparks family. The video for “Gloria” is a part of chapter one of the series which will include the songs and respective videos for “Donna” and “Life in the City.” The videos explore the effects of addiction and the intergenerational trauma it causes through the story of the Sparks family, which is particularly prominent in the “Gloria” video. Each video was directed by Kevin Phillips and was produced by Neighborhood Watch.

“Gloria” is an interesting track because of its contrasting music and lyrics. Though the song itself has a simple melody with an upbeat chord progression, the lyrics delve into the much more heartbreaking and serious theme of addiction. The video augments this idea. On one hand the “Gloria” video shows a family dealing with the addiction that consumes Gloria, the matriarch of the family who is an alcoholic. However, on the other hand, the video is very aesthetically pleasing with its indie themes, cute yellow country house, and fascinating camera work. These factors create a conflicting experience to the viewer as an enjoyable experience is overpowered by a life threatening issue which affects many individuals. Check out the song and video below:

The lead singer of the Lumineers Wesley Schultz commented on the song and character of Gloria by stating, “Gloria is an addict. Her character was inspired by a member of my family, and no amount of love or resources could save her.  She’s now been homeless for over a year. Loving an addict is like standing among the crashing waves, trying to bend the will of the sea.”

As the rest of chapter one of the music video series comes out in the following days it should be gripping to see where the narrative takes viewers. It’s clear that both the Lumineers and director Kevin Phillips are dedicated to the series and raising awareness around addiction and alcohol abuse.

Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat