General News / June 8, 2018

Gemma Dunleavy shares the stirring ‘I Was Never Young But I’m Not Yet Old’

General News / June 8, 2018

Gemma Dunleavy shares the stirring ‘I Was Never Young But I’m Not Yet Old’

Gemma Dunleavy has just released a beautiful new video via Dazed & Confused.

 

Irish artist Gemma Dunleavy’s recent collaborations with Swing Ting and sporadic solo tracks like May’s ‘Mercurial‘ have kept her in the mind and ears of fans, but her latest video is ready to grab you by the throat.

It’s a moving depiction of Dublin city as she sees it, dealt with via mesmerising visuals, spoken word and Gemma’s dreamy vocals.

Here’s what she told us about the video and track.

“‘I Was Never Young But I’m Not Yet Old’ is a glimpse into the North inner city of Dublin where I grew up. Initially it was me venting about the cyclical patterns and negative structures we’re dealt with, but as the composition and visual developed I wanted to represent the side that often goes unseen. The resilience, support and sense of community, bound together by the hundreds of strong women in the area. The pink cloth represents these women, most of whom were dressmakers in the the local factories. My ma and aunty were among these women, so it was a given to have them involved and make the costumes for the video.

“We shot the video in Croke Villas flats, where I spent most of my childhood. The cast are made up of my family and neighbours. The flats have since been demolished so the whole piece feels very personal and sentimental to me.

“It was incredibly important for me to have the kids be a part of this too. There is something within the children in the area where I grew up. They’re all old souls. They have a grit and empathy as if they’ve lived years. As if the experience of their grandmothers lives in them. It’s a by-product of the hardship but its what makes the community so special and I feel like they captured this perfectly.”

Watch it in full, directed by Laragh McCann, below.