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MAGNET Exclusive: Premiere Of Honey Child’s “Standing In The Shadows” Video

Honey Child is a self-described “heroine-folk” chamber-pop choir spearheaded by opera singer and keyboardist Claire McKeown. The L.A.-based McKeown is a Belfast, Northern Ireland, native who moved to the U.S. to study musicology at UCLA, though she soon became disenfranchised with the privilege and conservatism she found within the classical-music clique. Following a nervous breakdown and an alleged drug-induced conversation with the devil (yeah, we’ve all been there), she instead opted to let her freak flag fly and come to the true dark side: indie music.

After time spent in a handful of bands and doing vocal work for films and commercials, McKeown formed Honey Child as an outlet to assist in mending her broken heart. From there, six other female vocalists helped in the Honey Child rearing, and in February, the ensemble released its self-titled debut (on Aeronaut). The nine-track LP was recorded at the famed EastWest Studios (Beach Boys, Marvin Gaye, Tom Petty and countless movie music) and features instrumental contributions from players with credits including Nada Surf, Weezer and the Airborne Toxic Event as well as Golden Globe- and Emmy-nominated composer Rolfe Kent (Sideways, Dexter, Wedding Crashers, Up In The Air).

“Standing In The Shadows” is the third single and video from the album, and McKeown says the clip “represents the release of old skin. We witness the death of an old character I used to be and the death of a toxic love harvested in my heart. The director, Maggie McLean, used the beautiful imagery and symbolism of the members of Honey Child cleansing away my past and helping me release my old shadow self. We lost Milos Forman on the day this video was finished. I was floored by how much this man’s movies have crept into my creative unconscious. This character’s aesthetic is part Amadeus and Valmont with a side of Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon, for good measure.”

“Standing In The Shadows” marks the directorial debut from McLean, who co-runs Cheeky Films. Says McLean of the collaboration, “​When my dear friend Claire asked if I wanted to direct a music video for her gorgeous band Honey Child, I was flattered, anxious and beyond excited. This baby is my directorial debut, so the pressure was on. She sent me some songs to think about, and I was immediately drawn to ‘Standing In The Shadows.’ Instantly, I related to the lyrics—we’ve all had our hearts broken at some point or another and came out on the other side better, stronger, smarter. The journey to the ‘other side’ of a heartbreak is not an easy one. Sometimes it means we need to crawl deep into a cave and disappear while we lick the salt from our wounds. Sometimes that cave is a dreamy bubble bath.”​

In this case, the cave is definitely a dreamy bubble bath. So light some candles, pour yourself a nice glass of wine, put on your powdered wig and relax with the brand-new video for “Standing In The Shadows.” We’re proud to premiere it today on magnetmagazine.com. Let it wash over you now.