5 Seconds of Summer (5SOS) have shared the psychedelic music video for latest single, “Wildflower”, taken from their recent #1 album C A L M, out now on Polydor Records.
In an incredible burst of imagination, the visual came to life soon after the band’s original video shoot was cancelled due to California’s shelter-in-place order. Directed remotely by Andy DeLuca and assistant director Sarah Eiseman, ‘Wildflower’ was shot entirely on green screen through a meticulously arranged process that involved transporting the disinfected green screen to each band member’s doorway in order to film their individual parts. Despite 5 Seconds Of Summer separately quarantined, the result bears an undeniable mood of togetherness. With its lo-fi psychedelic effects, ‘Wildflower’ also features playful early noughties animated nostalgia that DeLuca and Eiseman learned to create specifically for the video.
Speaking on the new video, Calum Hood said “Wildflower was the wildcard of the album. A song that has opened new avenues for this band to explore. Most importantly it just feels good to listen to and disconnect for a minute. We really feel this video reflects that too and hope you all enjoy!”
On directing the video, Andy Deluca added “Our original plan consisted of a big budget, a full crew, and a giant studio, but it was cancelled due to coronavirus and we were forced to make something under the challenging conditions of quarantine. Michael had a green screen sitting in his closet, so I figured that could be enough to make something. Since the song has a pretty distinct 80s/90s tone, I came up with the idea of making an 80’s/90’s MTV-style music video. A ‘music-video-themed music video’. The stuff I grew up on and loved. So we passed around the disinfected green screen (with the help of our teammate Kat Gallagher), and everyone filmed their parts at home with an iPhone and later sent the footage over to me. In the meantime, Sarah Eiseman and I began working on the art for the video. We quickly learned animation and drew up several blooming flowers, and also created the trippy colored backgrounds using milk and food dye. I then spent the next couple of days/nights editing nonstop until my eyes bled and the video was completed. It definitely has pushed us to create something we normally wouldn’t, using only our brains and our hands.”
C A L M finished with 35,000 chart sales, finishing 550 units ahead of Dua Lipa’s ‘Future Nostalgia’. In one day of sales, C A L M outperformed the entire first-week chart sales of their previous album Youngblood, truly highlighting not only the bands staying power but the uncompromisingly loyal fan base they’ve garnered over the years.
