One of Ireland’s foremost electronic artists, Daithí , today releases his multi-layered new single ‘Familial ’ via Strange Brew . A track steeped in both tenderness and strength, ‘Familial’ is grounded by an underlying beat that echoes the solidity of the song’s subject matter.
The new single sees Daithí collaborate with New Zealand filmmaker Ayla Amano in an ambitious project that seeks to explore the ways families and communities communicate with one another; what is said and what is unsaid. What is spoken about through language and what is spoken about in more subtle, non-verbal ways.
The ‘Familial’ music video has already been shortlisted for three prestigious Kinsale Shark Awards – for Best Music Video, Best Direction and Best New Director.
Through Daithí’s music and Ayla’s accompanying film, common themes are explored between family relationships in rural Ireland and in New Zealand, in an attempt to ultimately say something about the world at large.
Daithí says: “‘Familial’ started out life as a track I wrote around an uncertain feeling I had about returning to my home county of Clare. Growing up in a remote area, there was a stifling feeling of repressed emotions; people in the area would sometimes find it difficult to say what they really felt. It was quite a personal piece of music to me, but it was transformed into something with even more to say when I began to collaborate with Ayla. The idea of finding common ground and themes with a community so far apart from my own got me really excited, and I started seeing the track in a new, more global perspective. The themes are universal.”
Ayla speaks about the concept for the film: “Originally, the concept for the ‘Familial’ video was set to film in Ireland. We’d discussed themes of family roots and community; ideas Daithí had been exploring around returning to his hometown in Clare. Then, while on holiday in New Zealand visiting my family, my partner and I discovered that we had a baby on the way, so we decided to stay there for the year. Apart from finding myself in a similar situation – reconnecting with my hometown and the community I grew up in – I was also reminded of New Zealand’s unique position in the Pacific. Our Pasifika communities are so integral to the spirit of Auckland, and after spending time in Ireland, I could draw some unexpected parallels between the two cultures – wildly different on the surface, but both with a real strong sense of family and community, as well as a humour and warmth that my Irish partner immediately connected with.”
These themes are realised on screen by Samoan actors Jeremiah Tauamiti, Villa Junior Lemanu and Samson Vaotuua – all immensely gifted performers. The opening scene was filmed at the Otara Markets, a centrepiece of the Pasifika community in Auckland, where Villa recalls spending Saturday mornings as a child. The home scenes were filmed in Samson’s mother’s house. Jeremiah helped Ayla immensely in understanding the role of the church in Samoan culture and psyche.
“There was a real sense of community both on and off the screen,” the director recalls. “Filming while I was six months pregnant provided yet another layer to the story. We spent a lot of time on set talking about family and reflecting on where we’d come from.”
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