Skip to content
Premieres

Watch Young Hunting Play Tug-of-War With Love in ‘Maze’ Video

Young Hunting 'Maze' Video Hazel Album

Young Hunting specialize in the sort of breezy, wistful, low-frills pop’n’roll that the Mamas & the Papas did so well, though their sound isn’t throwback. The Los Angeles quintet have been carving their own path through the pantheon of windswept psychedelia for a few years now, and after nabbing support for an early 7-inch from Washington indie arbiters K Records, they linked up with Oakland imprint Gold Robot (Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Meanest Man Contest, Roman Ruins) for their full-length debut, Hazel. The nine-track set inspired “mostly by failed affairs, a divorce, and life in the shadow of L.A.’s show-business culture” arrived in June, but the hard-hustling band have the long game in mind. 

Above you’ll find the video for the guitar-spangled “Maze,” a song replete with summery soft-rock vibes even if the lyrics imply a creeping darkness (cross-reference Ariel Pink’s “Hang on to Life”). The beautifully shot clip is the directorial debut of SoCal artist Ashkahn, who provided M83 with their Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming cover. In “Maze,” we witness two young lovers caught in a literal game of tug-of-war as people from their past and present work to keep them apart. It’s poetic and painful, but also quite pretty.