Premiere: Kane Strang Unveils Video For 'My Smile Is Extinct' (+ Interview)

Wry songsmith Kane Strang is set to deliver his sophomore full-length album at the end of the month, and in anticipation he is sharing a charming video for 'My Smile Is Extinct' which we are over the moon to premiere here at UTR. 'My Smile Is Extinct' is the second single plucked from the Wizard Of Oz-sounding album Two Hearts And No Brain and judging from the tune - along with earlier single 'Oh So You're Off I See' - the record is set to be jam-packed with adroit lyricism and catchy indie-pop hooks.

The making of the video for 'My Smile Is Extinct' saw Strang team up once again with filmmaker Julian Vares, who has also made visual offerings for the likes of Doprah, Nadia Reid, Fazerdaze and Zen Mantra. Check it out below, and keep scrolling to read our wee interview with Kane...

Hey Kane! The video for ‘Smile Is Extinct’ takes on a fairly simple concept, can you tell us a little bit about how this ties in with the song?

We decided to do a simple performance video because something that followed the story of the song might have turned out super cheesy. My original idea was to have the camera slowly zoom out from the photoshoot in the beginning and reveal the bodies of two photographers, implying that something supernatural had happened when I smiled for the picture. In the end we just wound up spending a night experimenting with different shots, colours etc and I’m really happy with how it turned out.

From what we understand the video was shot in a Scottish Hall in Christchurch … how did you scout that location and what made you want to shoot there?

I think Julian had been to a party there or something and remembered about it when we were thinking of locations. It was a really nice building and I even found my family tartan on the wall.

This isn't the first time you've worked with Julian, he also made your video for ‘Oh So You’re Off…'. What is it about Julian’s aesthetic and style that appeals to you?

For one, I find Julian really easy to talk to and brainstorm with. We also both seem to like kind of surreal videos that focus on bold colours and interesting filming techniques, rather than really intense narratives. Everything we’ve done together so far has had to have been filmed in a day so I can’t wait to do something where we have a little more time to try some crazier stuff.

Your second album Two Hearts And No Brain is about to come out at the end of the month!! You recorded it quite awhile ago in Chicks Hotel, how was that experience?

It was the ideal first proper studio experience for me… Tom Bell has set up Chick’s so well and it was such a comfortable place to make music. It was also an honour to record with NZ’s #1 indie rock producer - STEVEN MARR.

Was there anything particular that you wanted to achieve with this second album, especially coming on the heels of making your first record in your bedroom?

I just wanted to make something that sounded a bit more professional than things I’ve done in the past. I also wanted the songs to have more subtitles so that they get better over time. Most of all I wanted to make something that more people can relate to.

How are you feeling in the lead up to letting Two Hearts And No Brain out to the world? It must be an exciting time especially with all the touring you’ve been doing…

Equally excited and nervous. I’ve had a lot of time to question things but I’m really proud of what we made and know we poured everything we had into it at the time.


Two Hearts and No Brain is out 30th June via Dead Oceans