Playlist: Joe Connor

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

Despite the pandemic, it's been such an amazing year of creativity in Music Videos. 

There's been a whole bunch of highlights but I've really enjoyed the beauty of James Blake - Say What You Will, the creativity of Dua Lipa - Love Again, and the outright bonkers vibe in Modeselektor - Mean Friend from director Abigail Wilson.

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

I remember seeing Fat Boy Slim - Weapon of Choice for the first time and being blown away by it as a kid. It felt like a whole world opened up in my mind, I couldn't believe people got to create that kind of joy and do it as a job... It felt very alien as a kid from a small town in the north, it was fun, daring, creative, bonkers and deep. I was hooked.     

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

Oh now, thats a brutal question to answer. The medium of music videos is so broad that it's hard to pick an all time favourite. I love the innovation of The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever which is one of the most perfect symbiosis of music and visuals. 

I watch Fiona Apple - Across The Universe all the time, I love the simplicity of it and the beauty of the camera work and I just love the energy of Audioslave - Cochise. That's how you make a statement.  But, if i'm pushed it has to be Wax - California directed by Spike Jonze... that ending is so perfectly revealed.  

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

I find a lot of inspiration in photography. I find the work of Nan Goldin and Greg Gilard to be very inspiring at the moment, there's a richness, a depth, a heady mix of glamour and dirt.  

What are you listening to at the moment?

I think you only get into music videos if you love music, it has to be the root of your passion so it's always on in my house from sun up to sundown.  In terms of specifics, I've spent the year listening to the latest album by Steven Fretwell. He's been something of a 'sugarman' in the UK; two incredible albums in the mid 00's and then nothing for 13 years, his latest offering is a lyrical rabbit hole worthy of Leonard Cohen.  

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

I always carry my Ricoh GR. It's always in my back pocket and I'm always snapping with it wherever I am. The best camera you can have is the one you want to carry with you. I find that the limitations of the GR allow me to be a little more creative and free.

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

I'd love to work with Radiohead, they've shaped my life, my taste, and my musical landscape is richer and deeper for spending hours on end in the company of each album.  Aside from Radiohead I'd actually love to mix it up a bit, i'm massively into guitar music but I think what's happening in grime and drill is the where the most exciting music is being made - you can feel the creative energy pouring out of Dave. I'd quite like to challenge myself with an artist like that. 

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

I think it's become nicer! It was very very competitive when I first started and now it feels like people are much more supportive of new voices. I think the pandemic made everyone much more grateful and appreciative of everyone's journey in this mad, choppy industry. Not everything has to be an ego contest....it's nice to just appreciate creativity and enjoy seeing it in others.