Playlist: Frances O’Sullivan

What’s the best music video you’ve seen recently and why? 

I mean the Rosalía - Berghain video is simply fabulous. 

It’s been a while since a music video has made me feel that thrilled and inspired. The theatrics, the utter uniqueness, it’s the kind of artistry we need more of and will be relevant for years to come. It’s exciting to see female artists continuing to set the standard for visionary visuals. 

What’s the first music video you remember being impressed by? 

Growing up, my parents had a DVD of David Bowie’s music videos that they’d put on and the family would all sit together to watch them. This was my earliest introduction into both music and film in a sense. Their eccentricity made perfect sense to me as a child, and there’s a comfort they brought to me even now as I relate them to my childhood. 

In my teens, I became obsessed with every music video Lady Gaga released. I had a sketchbook where I’d pause the videos frame by frame and redraw them in graphic novel format. A favourite was Marry the Night, with its One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest esque intro. I must have drawn Gaga with those cheerios falling out of her mouth 10 times.

And what’s your all-time favourite music video? 

I’d be lying if I said anything other than Michael Jackson - Thriller, as it’s THE music video. Outside of that, one of my all time favourites is Massive Attack - Karmacoma, directed by Jonathan Glazer, who’s just a master of the format and in my opinion responsible for some of the greatest music videos ever made.

Honourable mentions go to Grace Jones - Slave To The Rhythm, Nirvana - Heart Shaped Box, Björk - All Is Full Of Love, and of course the iconic by Fatboy Slim - Weapon Of Choice.

What other directors/artists do you look to for inspiration? 

I’m drawn to artists who explore the strangeness of being human. Cronenberg, Powell & Pressburger, Jaques Tati, Cindy Sherman, Guy Bourdin are just a few who all share that fascination with the uncanny as well as touch of camp. I started out in prosthetic makeup, so my curiosity often centres around the body and the construction of character. Lynch is always somewhere in the back of my mind, partly as his images are just burned in, and partly due to his psychology and refreshing way of seeing the world. 

What are you listening to at the moment? 

This year I’ve discovered so much Japanese jazz, funk and city pop. Some artists that i've come to love are Shigeo Sekito, Jiro Inagaki & Junko Ohashi.

What’s your favourite bit of tech, whether for professional or personal use? 

Either my Fuji X100V, which in my opinion is the ultimate portable camera, or honestly my PlayStation.

What artist(s) would you most like to work with and why? 

There are just so many musical artists I’d love to collaborate with. PJ Harvey comes to mind, the strength and sensuality in both her music and imagery had a huge impact on me. She was just so cool. Others would be David Byrne, Patti Smith, the list goes on… 

How do you feel the promo industry has changed since you started in it? 

Even in the short time I’ve been working in the industry, the landscape has changed fast. Everything’s shorter, faster, and more lo-fi which is a format I and I imagine a lot of people really struggle to resonate with artistically. We’re in an amazing time for music, I think the visuals deserve to match that richness rather than chasing attention spans. However, it makes it even more meaningful when an artist chooses to refuse the trend and pushes the visual format instead of shrinking it.