One of the most exciting bands I’ve come across in 2020 are AGAPANTHER. The Adelaide based punk/alternative band take their music seriously, and have a special *something* about them that has me curious to see where they’ll go. So I’m absolutely stoked for Depth to exclusively share AGAPANTHER’s new single and video; “Haven”.
With feelgood vibes and freedom wafting through the track, “Haven” is a breath of fresh air. Just like the “High flow” lyric of the chorus, the mood is light and free, matched by the colourful music video that’s set in a skate park. Shot and edited by the band, featuring friends, as well as the skate park having been constructed by them, “Haven” oozes fun, joy, and the comfort of connection.
“Start something beautiful
And watch it bloom”
Though skating is the visual focus of the music video (filmed by close friend, Tom Drizners), the song was inspired by love; “the sense of newfound security and safety when you find yourself falling for someone”. Inspired by some of the band members’ favourite artists – Dear Seattle, The Dead Love, WAAX, and Introvert – “Haven” shares a happier mood than previous tracks to date, while still delivering palpable AGAPANTHER passion, calling it “one of our most powerful and anthemic tracks yet.”
Vocalist and guitarist Kyle Kenworthy wrote the lyrics for “Haven” around two years ago, during a time when he was frequenting Henley Beach where his partner lived. He says “With the combination of great company and the beautiful area that surrounded us, it was inevitable that I was to gain a sense of safety. The house really wasn’t much, it was pretty outdated, but it served us well as our haven for about a year before we had to move.”
Elaborating more about the haven of the house, and shedding light on the carefree vibe that shows up in the track, Kyle says “It held a lot of lovely memories – particularly dancing around the house whilst listening to Neck Deep vinyls, shouting the lyrics at each other at the top of our lungs, but unfortunately everyone in those units was evicted to make way for town houses.”
Watch “Haven” now and learn about how it came together by continuing below.
Keen to create contrast between what was presented in the “Vacant” video and “Haven”, AGAPATHER opted for a setting that was bright, colourful, “less serious, and a lot more fun”. Kyle shared that all of AGAPANTHER’s band members have backgrounds in extreme sports like BMX, mountain biking, and skating, and felt it would be great to incorporate that.
Enlisting their friends, AGAPANTHER began planning and conceptualising, creating the ‘ghetto spot’ (which drummer Harry Mason had suggested, as he passes it regularly while going for walks). Bassist Dylan Kenworthy installed the rail, box, manny pad, and the quarter pipe, and Harry and Kyle created some lips using about 60kg of concrete which allowed for wall rides.
Though it sounds straightforward, unfortunately the closest car park to the location was 400 metres away from it, via a dirt path, complete with an incline. Kyle laughs that “none of us were prepared for the physical toll it took on our bodies”. Relieved that a constantly rainy week had given a sunny moment for the shoot to occur, the day was celebrated with beer and pizza, with kudos to friends Mitch Pike, Luke Skinner, Zack Lycos, and Riki Wood for skating for 2-3 hours straight.
Filmed by Tom Drizners, Kyle shares that the band worked together to sift through the footage, which guitarist Coen Miller then edited and added graphics to, which were created by Kyle. Of the style of the video, Kyle says “We went for that really nostalgic early 2000’s aesthetic with the 4:3 aspect ratio, lower quality, a bright colour palette, VHS subtitles and a lot of close wide angle shots.”
Beyond “Haven”, Kyle has also shared with us the good news that AGAPANTHER’s debut EP, Overdue, is planned for release on December 11th. Though uncertain about live shows in the near future, AGAPANTHER hope to launch “Haven” at Adelaide UniBar on December 5th for the Nocturnal Animals “SFOS” Single Launch (with The Max Headroom and Down and Out).
And so, if you haven’t yet, watch AGAPANTHER’s newest single, “Haven”:
