Musician Tim Smith has been all over the map sharing the stage as a performer in the highly influential power pop group Jellyfish, as well as with Sheryl Crow and Noel Gallagher. Now he has joined forces with singer-songwriter Nick Niespodziani of Yacht Rock fame, forming Indianapolis Jones -- a psychedelic pop supergroup of sorts.
"No Ghosts Yet" is the first single off the band's self-titled debut EP, and along with it they have released a rather "glowing" (did I say that?) video, with an even more interesting behind-the-scenes story.
The guy jumping rope in the video is non-other than Niespodziani himself. His sister Gina Niespodziani helped direct and produce the video as well. Niespodziani's idea of a choreographed jump rope video was hindered only by his lack of competition-level jumpers. Then it hit him...if he could create glow-in-the-dark jump ropes and outfit himself in the same material, he could film the same routine several times to create the appearance of a team of jump ropers all by himself, so in flew his sister and the collaboration began.
I ordered a full-body spandex suit and created a light suit with electroluminescent wire. I attached the wire to jump ropes, and the battery packs made them quite unwieldy compared to normal jump ropes. With the suit covering my eyes and sunglasses on top of that, I was virtually blind while filming the video. For a few of the shots -- the double dutch and "wheel" partner routines -- Gina joined me in the glow suit and dusted off her jump roping skills.
Describing the song as a "party at the end of the world," both Gina and Nick have captured a gleeful optimism in the face of certain doom. The visual concept, a psychedelic journey through the place where the darkness meets the light, fits the song both figuratively and literally. The retro-futuristic aesthetic combines the the sound of a garage band in space, graphic feel of the '70s and '80s, apocalyptic emotions and surprising athleticism for a one-of-a-kind video experience.
For more information on the band visit them on Facebook.