Kat Harlton
Jordan Hart recently debuted his brand new video for “Only Pieces Of The Truth“. The single is an emotive, mid paced, gentle song with gloriously sweeping arrangements and the video features a beautiful dance performance expressing our desire to communicate but failing to do so.
The video was directed by Julia Hendrickson (Justin Nozuka), produced by Lucy Cameron and choregraphed by Lauren Runions.
We had the opportunity to chat with Jordan about the inspiration behind his singe and video, what he hopes fans take from the track, and what’s next.
Kat: Can you talk about the inspiration behind your latest single and video for “Only Pieces Of The Truth”?
Jordan: This song was inspired by a deep love that is thriving behind a stubborn shade of pride, held shut for a hurtful history between two lovers. I feel like it’s true, for many of us, that our deepest desire is to love and be loved, and because of this, our deepest fear is to be found unworthy of that love. It creates this intense magnetic field that we have around each other; this pushing and pulling feeling which can make it incredibly difficult to be vulnerable. This song explores that feeling.
I had the opportunity to work with my favourite music video director in the world for this video. I first saw Julia Hendrickson’s work through one of my favourite Canadian singer songwriters, Justin Nozuka, and was blown away by the intentionality and creativity in her collaborations with him. Since connecting with her over Instagram, I have come to know that her genius is accompanied by an infallible kindness and openness in the creation process.
The video centers around beautiful movement choreographed by Lauren Runions and performed by Nyda Kwasowsky and Allie Higgins. The dance explores two characters’ magnetic push and pull within themselves and between each other. This team captured the essence of this feeling in such a beautiful way.
With our setting, we conceptually wanted to explore the line between the purely natural and slightly distorted or manipulated to echo the production elements in this record. The old, abandoned mansion we shot this video in feels like a perfect representation of this to me. It’s decaying paint and old wood make it feel like the space is being reclaimed by the natural world, and the natural light that quietly exposes the dark abandoned rooms reminds me of our profound impermanence in the face of the vastness of the environment that surrounds us.
Kat: What do you hope fans take from the track?
Jordan: I hope that all of my music helps people find a way to be more vulnerable with themselves and the people they care about. I hope that this song becomes a soundtrack for people walking or driving in nature, a love letter for lovers old and new and a melody and story that listeners can claim as their own. I hope it moves you. Whether it brings a smile, a tear, a laugh or a peaceful feeling, my deepest desire is for it to mean something to you. I would love for it to take on new meaning and become your song as much as it is mine.
Specifically, with this song, I feel like it talks about an experience that more of us go through than we admit. I hope those people feel seen.
Kat: What do you find is the most challenging part of your creative process?
Jordan: The most challenging part of the process for me is the editing and refining of ideas. It can be difficult to ride the line between perfecting an idea on the fly and allowing it to flow naturally as you go. I find so much beauty in the imperfect moments, but too many of them can make a track feel unorganized and muddled, alternatively too much organization and intentionality can stifle the creation process and result in something sounding bland. It’s definitely a balancing act for me.
I also like to allow myself the option of not seeing an idea through and wait for the moments of natural flow instead of painstakingly forcing the process. This can make deadlines and other outside pressures pretty heavy.
Kat: What has been a career highlight for you so far? What have you learned along the way?
Jordan: A recent career highlight for me was selling out the Great Hall in Toronto. It was on the heels of completing a 100 Day Busking Challenge in which I sang for various crowds of people on the street for 100 days in a row. There was so much energy and love in the air from a community who grew fairly familiar with my music during the challenge. It’s crazy to think that it was the last live music performance that I attended let alone participated in.
One thing that I’ve learned is that while performing live and recording have similarities, they also are vastly different. I have grown a lot as a recording artist thanks to being forced to stay indoors, but I thrive and feel at home as a live performer. I am literally aching to hit the stage again soon.
Kat: What’s next for you?
Jordan: Next, I get to release my first full EP! I can’t say how many songs are on it quite yet, but I can tell you that it’s on the long side of a traditional EP and features some songs that my existing fans know well, along with others that no one other than my team has heard before. I am especially excited for the music video that is being worked on for a song of mine called ‘Freedom’. I have the honour of collaborating with an Academy Award winning production studio as well as a not-for-profit organization called L’Arche that has meant a lot to me and my family since I was very young.
After that, if this pandemic allows, I hope to play live for people as much as possible! I am on the edge of my seat waiting to sing these songs for you in person and feel the magic of live music again.
For more on Jordan Hart, visit: https://www.jordanhartsound.com