FRAUEN – Unreal City (Video Premiere)

FRAUEN are the result of three friends reacquainted after lead vocalist and guitarist Adam Lamont returned to Glasgow in late 2015 after two years living in London. The trio, completed by drummer Joe Campbell and bassist Kenni Campbell (no relation), had all played together in various bands before but found a new energy and drive inspired by their time spent apart, learning a lot about themselves in the interim.

The three-piece released their debut album last year, entitled Unreal City; loosely a concept album inspired by T.S. Eliot’s apocalyptic epic poem The Waste Land. Unreal City is a nine-track album reflecting on Lamont coming to terms with the end of a long-term relationship while living in a highly stressful major metropolitan city, and being diagnosed with depression.

The Skinny are delighted to be premiering the music video for the titular track from the LP – Lamont tells us: “Unreal City sums up the whole narrative of the album into its four minutes. While most of the record is inspired by specific relationships I had with people I encountered while living in London, and what I was feeling as a result of them, Unreal City specifically addresses my relationship with the city itself. I make several references to Unreal City over the course of the album, so the song itself is supposed to be the album's breaking point and release, as I realised how unhappy the place was making me (and others) on a daily basis.

“While it is obviously quite a negative song, this isn't to say I hate the place it is based on. Much of the imagery I use to paint this endless, sprawling metropolis are exaggerated or inspired by dystopian literature. Ultimately, living in such a relentless city proved too much for me, but for many other people, it is their ideal home which is why I resisted specifically naming my location or characters on the album. It is supposed to be about universal feelings all of us go through regardless of location. I actually have quite a healthy relationship with London now I don't live there, it really is a great place to visit!

“The video was initially shot by Ann-Christin Heinrich – who also designed our artwork and has been our photographer – of various locations around London, while we were playing a show there, using a VHS camera. She intentionally shot how mundane yet endlessly busy the streets of London are, with people often living in poor conditions in areas just a stone's throw away from more affluent ones. We then turned the footage over to friend and local artist Sean Campbell, who edited in some found footage relevant to our song. Both of them collaborated to create the sense of overwhelming loneliness that often comes with running the rat-race which leads to people feeling lost and even depressed, as what happened to me."

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Watch the video for Unreal City in the player above. Catch FRAUEN live at Bar Bloc, Glasgow, 16 May, and at The Alternative Escape Festival, Royal Pavillion Tavern, Brighton, 20 May.