Following the release of her Archetype EP, which revolves around themes of change and the process of an individual evolving after a heartbreaking loss, Oakland-based artist Emily Afton returns with a video for Golden Mountain.
Soft guitars and Afton’s smoky vocals emerge from the woods and leap forth with a mischievous flare in what becomes a garage-rock inflected roar with gritty guitars. In the Julian Velazquez directed video, Afton meets her friends and they indulge in the pleasantries of vice and good company under the calm hue of the summer sun. For the release, Afton explained:
“I wrote this song 3 years ago but it feels more relevant today than I could have ever intended it to.
Thank you Julian Velazquez, Alonso Silva, Victor Valle, and all of my friends who helped me attempt to tell this story in the backyard of my Oakland home… This is the story of an American identity, and being blinded by the gleam of the ‘golden mountain’ we call America. About being numb to the wars that exist so close as our neighbor’s backyards, yet feel so far from those blatant truths. It is about not doing enough to bridge the separation between us all. And waking up from this **complacent dream**
Thank you for watching, sharing, and for allowing me to express my thoughts about life through music!
I LOVE YOU ALL!”
Watch it all below.
