NOVO AMOR has unveiled the official video for his new single ‘Utican’. The track is the latest to be taken from his forthcoming debut album ‘Birthplace’, to be released on 19th October via AllPoints.
Much like the video for the album’s title track – which seeks to address the monolithic problem of plastic in our oceans and was awarded Independent Video of the Year at the AIM Awards earlier this week – the storyline for the ‘Utican’ video also centres on a topical and emotional issue, befitting of the cinematic nature of Novo Amor’s music.
Speaking about the ‘Utican’ video concept in more detail, director Ethan Graham shares: “It’s a culmination of meanings – from a young boy’s realisation of looming adulthood and sexuality, to he and his father coming to terms with the loss of his mother.”
“His memory of her is slowly deteriorating and the only way he can hold onto this is by wearing her dresses and applying her make-up the way she used to when he was
a little boy.”
“It’s an emotive coming-of-age story that nurtures a masculine relationship in a beautifully delicate way.”
Expanding on the thoughts behind the song itself, Novo Amor shares: “Musically, Utican represents a proud, celebratory realisation that you don’t need something in your life. You are no longer a resident of your past.”
“The name ‘Utican’ refers to the idea of becoming a resident of Utica, a place in which I’ve spent a fair bit of time and started to feel at home. Utica is more of a metaphor for that time of my life, rather than the actual place.”
Working from this home studio, Novo Amor – the moniker of Welsh singer-songwriter and multi instrumentalist Ali Lacey – has received acclaim for a catalogue of beautiful and melancholic songs which have the ability to effortlessly transport the listener to another realm. On ‘Birthplace’, the sounds of his home bleed in – the distant chatter of a party across the street, Bonfire Night fireworks, the seagulls that congregate on the building site next door. Even the sound of the late-night recording hours Lacey kept to avoid the sounds of construction seem to make their presence felt: “I think there’s something calming about working at night,” he says. “You can focus on smaller details and sounds.”
Marking the release of his debut album, Novo Amor will embark on a full band tour of the UK, mainland Europe, and North America throughout October and November. As a follow on from the issues raised in the ‘Birthplace’ video, Lacey has teamed up with two UK charities – Julie’s Bicycle and Energy Revolution – to limit the environmental impact of his shows. The aim of working with these charities is to minimise waste at shows and balance fuel consumption & Co2 emissions. A self-applied ‘pollution tax’ will be used to generate clean, renewable energy through projects such as wind power generation and reforestation in India.
NOVO AMOR UK TOUR DATES:
Tue 16 Oct – Gorilla, Manchester
Wed 17 Oct – Saint Luke’s, Glasgow
Fri 19 Oct – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
Sat 20 Oct – The Haunt, Brighton
Mon 22 Oct – Union Chapel, London
Tue 23 Oct – Union Chapel, London
Tickets for all dates are on sale now from Novo Amor’s official website here:
https://www.novoamor.co.uk/tour
Pre-order ‘Birthplace’ here: https://novoamor.lnk.to/birthplace
