Check out our exclusive premiere of Jake Bugg’s trippy short film for new single, ‘Saviours of the City’.
Lots of creative projects are being realised in lockdown, born out of both necessity and our constant need for new forms of entertainment. But the latest one to pique our interest is Jake Bugg’s short film for released single, ‘Saviours of the City’. A creative collaboration with production company High Art, the video was filmed in its entirety using social distancing procedures. The necessary camera equipment was delivered, and self-assembled on-site and direction was given over video calls and messaging apps.
The short film starts with the singer-songwriter slumping down into his grey sofa, wearing a hoodie and looking sad – it’s a mood we can all relate to right about now. Soon, white noise, forest scenes and shots of his own face start playing out from the retro TV set, and we’re confronted with colourful landscape scenes and flying birds, which provide a stark contrast from the grey living room. The rest of the video follows a dealer cycling through the streets and dropping off bags of weed, before taking a detour to light up a spliff in a field of bluebells. But don’t worry, we’re told these scenes were filmed as the actor took his one form of daily exercise to comply with government guidelines.
The video ends with a knock at Jake Bugg’s door. It’s a drop-off for him, and as he sings “I feel like getting high”, while a dedication to “all the saviours of the city” flashes on the screen, it becomes evident that the title is a tongue-in-cheek ode to drug dealers. In fact, it’s not really clear anymore whether or not the whole thing is a weed-fuelled figment of Jake Bugg’s imagination.
