Marfa resident Nancy Wood in the “Heartstruck (Wild Hunger)” music video.
By SARAH M. VASQUEZ
sarah@bigbendnow.com
MARFA – Marfa is the backdrop for indie rocker Hamilton Leithauser’s latest music video for his recording, “Heartstruck (Wild Hunger).”
Filmed by directors The Simonites and creative agency Preacher, based in Austin, the video opens with a fiery heart planted in the Marfa landscape as the musician walks away with a guitar case in hand.
As Leithauser ventures through Marfa, he’s haunted by various women who are unified by their wardrobe. Locals Emma Rogers, Jessica Lutz, Tina Rivera, Nancy Wood and Ashley Adams are among the locals to grace the screen. Other locals, including Moritz Langrebe, Jimi Ball and Marfa Film Festival’s Robin Lambaria worked behind the camera with production.
The concept, though, came from Leithauser. “I’ve had input over the years, but on the whole, I’d really just shown up and been told what to do,” he said.
Inspired by silent movies and shorts from foreign directors, he felt it would be fun to write something symbolic and to express emotion through film with the song. The Marfa setting became his first choice to set the scene after performing at the Crowley Theater last December after a week’s residency here.
He originally pictured a John-Waters-esque feel to the burning heart, but once he started working with the Simonites, the video became more of what he said was a visual spectacle.
“They are pros. Good God, they are pros,” said Leithauser. “Originally I’d imagine maybe an iPhone or two, an outfit change, a rusty old Honda Civic, a plastic red heart from Walmart and a can of gasoline, but these guys really brought out the big guns.”
The Simonites knew they would need to improvise and figure out what they needed when they arrived in Marfa to make the concept come to life. Being at least three hours from convenient big box stores, finding specific items can be difficult.
“It’s so great shooting in Marfa because everybody knows each other to organize something like that,” said Peter Simonite, one of the directors.
The Simonites consist of brothers Peter and Nick Simonite, who both work behind the camera. Peter has done cinematography internationally for films and commercials for clients such as Samsung and Apple, while his brother Nick has done photography all over the globe and has worked in Marfa for the Hotel Saint George and El Cosmico.
The Simonites previously filmed a music video in Far West Texas to indie rock band Whitney’s cover of Lion’s “You’ve Got a Woman.” The video features Rogers and Jon Coleman, most recognizable for giving out change in $2 bills at Food Shark.
Working with Leithauser was a great project, according to Peter, because he was a great sport. Even though the directors never met the musician prior to shooting, they left Leithauser in the middle of Pinto Canyon Road to film him walking in the distance and required early wake up calls to burn hearts in the desert.
“He really went 100 percent into what was put in front of him,” said Peter. “I thought he gave a great performance.”
“Once I’d arrived, it was clear very quickly that I should just shut up and listen to what they had planned,” said Leithauser.
It was fun for the directors to cast locally for the women who sang along to Angel Olsen’s vocals on “Heartstruck (Wild Hunger).”
Mrs. Wood was walking across the street from paying her car registration at the Presidio County Courthouse when she was approached to be in the video. She’s never done something like this before, but to her, it was fun. The crew wrapped a prominent pink scarf around her neck and gave her a bathrobe from wardrobe. Robin Lambaria held up cards with the lyrics for Wood to sing along as the video rolled.
“I thought it was really neat to be in something like that just out of the blue,” said Wood. “It was a surprise.”
“She was awesome,” said Peter. “She was one of our most favorite people to film. It was a fun operation to run around with these cue cards and put on a pink scarf.”
The brothers also featured their sister Francesca in a blink-and-you-miss cameo in front of the Big Bend Sentinel Marfa office, making it their first family production.
“Peter and I are close,” said Nick. “It’s just a fun opportunity to start collaborating and work together. We come from different backgrounds.”
“I’m really inspired by Nick’s photography,” said Peter. “I really feel like he does things I can’t do and I do things he can’t do. It was neat to add Francesca in the mix too.”
The music video debuted online in October and naturally, the Marfa community shared it on social media. The Simonites hope to find other projects to film in Marfa in the future.
“We really found a crew that we love,” said Peter. “It’s an inspiring landscape and town.”
By SARAH M. VASQUEZ
MARFA – Ballroom Marfa is pleased to announce Laura Copelin’s appointment to the role of executive director. Copelin joined Ballroom as associate curator in 2014, and has served as the nonprofit organization’s interim director since April 2017. In addition to her administrative leadership position, she will continue in her role as Ballroom’s curator.
