Tacocat's latest music video is a reminder to love yourself
Maybe the most important kind of love is the love we have for ourselves.
So sings the Seattle indie pop outfit Tacocat in the song "Grains of Salt" from the forthcoming LP This Mess Is A Place out on Sub Pop in May.
The official music video for the song dropped on Valentine's Day, so we caught up with the women-led team that made it: director Claire Buss, along with producers Isabelle Kelley and Kat O'Hara of Weird Dog Productions.
What's the main concept for this video?
Claire Buss: Something kind of sexy and also online. Like a Y2k-era, baby blue, Spice Girls mood. It says, "Welcome to the new millennium!" It's inclusive, it's sparkly, it's bright.
Isabelle Kelley: The vibe on set that day was so joyous. It really felt like a celebration.
What surprised you most in the process of making this video?
Buss: I never used to be into drag — so actually going into the shoot and getting to meet them and work one-on-one with drag queens was when I totally got it. It clicked for me! This is where all the true freak artists in Seattle are.
I think it's easy to get down on Seattle art, as if nobody is doing anything crazy or super impressive, but after hanging out with drag queens all day I was like — Oh, here they are! They totally changed my perspective and I'm all about drag queens now.
At this point, after going through the editing process, how many times do you think you've listened to this song?
Buss: Probably like 800 times.
Is this a Valentines Day song?
Kat O'Hara: The general takeaway of this song is loving yourself despite what society throws at you. I think bringing in the Seattle queer and drag queen communities is an amplification of that message.
Buss: So yes, I'm going to say that this is Valentines Day song.
Why is self-love so important?
Buss: Having confidence in yourself and being able to feel good about yourself on your own without any validation from anyone else is an incredibly important life skill and the foundation for any relationship you’ll be in for the rest of your life. So if you don’t love yourself, you’re going to have a lot harder of a time loving anyone else.
