Sometimes your world maybe spinning out of control, and the only thing left to do is ride it out. That is exactly what Los Angeles based Ward does in his latest video. He has just released a truly captivating and gravity defying video for his ultra-infectious new track. Sober.
The video was shot on 90º angles using fabricated sets in Ward’s home, studio and on the street in Culver City. The images mirror Ward’s words and the sentiment of losing the ground beneath his feet. “For the ‘floating’ shots, we had to look at every take in a different way, sort of re-learning how to see things, tricking ourselves into trusting the shots would look right tilted off axis. Filmmaker David Rivera (drivenfilms.net) was very collaborative. I brought him sketches and photos and draft clips, and he helped make my vision for this video come to life. It was more of a challenge than past videos, but worth it.”
Check out the cinematic gem here:
The song delves into Ward’s personal decision to quit alcohol; in order to save time, energy and mental focus to pour into his music. After quitting his executive job in New York City and leaving everything to move to Los Angeles and pursue a music career, he grappled with the ambiguous and heartbreaking learning curve of a changing and difficult industry. “I was late to the game and I didn’t know the rules”, Ward explains. “ I felt an urgent need to improve as quickly as possible, and I wasn’t bringing his best self to every moment and every interaction…but quitting wasn’t as easy as I thought. With sobriety, came loneliness, difficult thoughts, more time to consider them and no easy way to avoid them. This experience has ultimately been a positive, but it was a downright bummer for a long while.” For Ward, sobriety and mental health are crucially important topics among artists and creators. 10% of all Ward’s net profits are always donated to National Alliance on Mental Illness (https://www.nami.org/) to support the millions of Americans who face mental illness every day.
It is great to see Ward delivering such honest amazing new music and he definitely will continue to be in the spotlight. He was not always on the musical road and you might be surprised to find out that he left an executive job in New York to pursue his musical career. Ward, hats off for following your dreams and after listening to your songs, you are definitely on the right path! We wanted to find out more about making that big leap and if he could give others advice to follow whatever their dreams are, what would it be?
From Ward: Hi Music Junkie Press! So, there’s a quote from Mia Hollow, which I hold close, which reads, “Every now and again, you will feel a dull ache in your soul. A gentle humming around your heart. A longing for something without a name. If I ever told you to obey anything, this would be it.” Life became dangerous for me when this feeling became too easy to ignore. Life tries to tell me who I should be, before I’d even figured out who I was. This pressure to conform is everywhere. Still, every day, I suppose I struggle and fight for my purpose, identity and meaning in this increasingly disconnected world that wants you to settle and be something different than yourself. Fight for yourself every day. xo Ward
The new EP is set to release April and will feature four songs from Ward’s live set that have not been previously recorded. Be on the lookout for pre-order links on April 2nd.
We are hoping to catch Ward live and some Northern California shows. Meanwhile, they have told us about the following:
We are planning a tour in Mexico this summer. Ward will be playing shows regionally, starting with a night at the Manhattan Bar in Chula Vista, CA on Mar 9, with more shows coming. Ward also has a residency at the Strangely Attractive Variety show every third Thursday in Los Angeles.
We can’t wait for the new EP. The music is set to fill a much needed void as it brings to life honest raw lyrics in an infectious alt-eletroc-pop-punk-rock style. There is no genre checkbox for Ward, just great kick ass music to enjoy! You will be hooked! Make sure to check out the video and the social media sites so you can stay up to date on the latest news.
Information & Links:
- Website: http://ward.band
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/ward.band
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WARDmusic?sub_confirmation=1
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ward_music/
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5IqqyQ4GzDnhT6AUzyKbZy
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ward.band/
Great article on a secret gem of a band!