Drew TewksburyAmericana aficionado Harper Simon has unveiled a new video for “Wishes and Stars” from his self-tilted debut, on Santa Monica's Vagrant Records.
The video is helmed by actor/director Joshua Leonard (The Blair Witch Project, Humpday and Hung) and follows a motel bellhop, (if those even exist) as he stumbles into unusual scenes in each of the rooms.
The video includes cameos from creative types including Money Mark (Beastie Boys), lyricist/essayist John Perry Barlow (Grateful Dead), actress Angela Featherstone (The Wedding Singer, The Soloist), Alison Sudol (A Fine Frenzy), producer Laila Nabulsi (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas), model/writer Jessica Joffee and LA poet/painter/musician E.E. Johnston.
Somehow Simon has avoided sounding like his father, Paul Simon, on his self-titled debut album, but in “Wishes and Stars,” the vocal cadences and finger-picking feel familiar. Not a bad thing. Harper's straightforward approach to songwriting, and emphasis on lyrics and lush orchestration is refreshing in its austerity. “Wishes and Stars” just feels good.
And accompanying Joshua Leonard's video, it looks good too.
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