Luke Doucet’s name might be unfamiliar, but chances are, you’ve heard his fancy fingerwork. He’s the former guitar player for fellow Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan, and has worked with the likes of the Devlins and Chantal Kreviazuk. His latest solo effort, Broken (and other rogue states), has been garnering accolades for its blend of Sondre Lerche-like lilting pop and Old 97’s style alt-country.
In the ethereal light and desert landscape of Palmdale, California, the video for “Free” looks like it could be a lost scene from Six Feet Under. Doucet told SPIN.com that the basic premise employed by director Luke Hutton was “to exploit the loneliness in the song.”
“Artists pride themselves on keeping a distance from mainstream lifestyles,” he elaborated. “Although in the case of our hero, the ivory tower is really just a trailer in the Mojave desert where his head is so far up his own ass that all he can see is himself.” Hmm…could that solipsism have beens the inspiration for the moments of very literal product placement in the trailer (“Doucet-O’s” join Karen O’s as part of a well-balanced rockfest)?
And what’s with the appearance of the spooky, suited Luke at the end? Did we just get Sixth Sense-d? Doucet offers a more open interpretation: “I’m not sure if I ride off in to the sunset as an insane modern day Brian Wilson, or if in fact I have died, as the song suggests. I guess that’s left to the viewer to conclude. Either way, I have abandoned the shackles that life surrounded by ‘me’ would impose.” Which artfully brings us back to the song’s title.
Also Read
Compact Discs: Sound of the Future
Now Watch This:
Luke Doucet – “Free” QUICKTIME
Talk: Does Doucet’s video make you feel free or want to “blame Canada”? COMMENT
On the Web:
lukedoucet.com
