Lady Clementine's Fantastic Party premieres a dreamy, Queer wonderland in new music video

Arts

Jun 25

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STILL FROM *CLEMENTINE SEASON X EAST COAST*

Lady Clementine’s Fantastic Party brings you a first glimpse into the picturesque wonderland of two fresh tunes, “Clementine Season” and “East Coast”, a seamless merge of sweet stories and a glimmer into the talent and imagination of this upcoming Atlanta-based indie project set for great heights. With a twinkle of twang and 60s ye-ye, Lady Clementine, who is the angelic voice and composer of LCFP, created the project in Fall of 2018 during a slight musical rut. “I had been doing the singer-songwriter folk style ever since I started playing music on the scene a few years ago, so I decided to completely change it up and play with pop vibes,” the artist recalls. “It had been such a tough year for humanity, to the point where I couldn’t watch the news, and I wanted to make music that would feel like I was giving people a hug, especially women, POC, and the LGBTQ community.”

LCFP is indeed a warmth and sparkle that glistens with femme energy and the music video brings a conglomeration of glowing gorgeous serenity, opening with divinely dressed characters lavishing in a spring dream picnic fit for goddesses. “Clementine Season” introduces the artist’s aura in the format of fantasy, surrounded by communal light and love with fae babe friends, played by artists Brandon Nguyen Hilton, Kelley Alexander and photographer LaRue Calliet (whose stunning work is featured in WUSSY Vol 6). Furthermore, the video is a creation of visual importance that Lady Clementine sorely saw missing in media as a child.

LADY CLEMENTINE (PHOTO: NICOLE HERNANDEZ)

LADY CLEMENTINE AND TONI WILLIAMS (PHOTO: NICOLE HERNANDEZ)

“I grew up obsessed with fairytales and princess stories but I never saw representations of queer POC in the stories I loved. I don’t need to tell this audience that we traditionally get written out of history, but something we may think less about is that we aren’t written into fantasy either,” Lady Clementine explains. “My own journey with my gender and sexual identity is part of the story I tell. Not seeing representation made me feel invisible and I wanted to share a vision of fantasy that represented me, my friends, and the love in our community. ‘Clementine Season’ is about honoring each other and the unique experiences we bring to the table.”

Not only was POC representation lacking in Lady Clementine’s childhood, but growing up in a strict religious household, she was not allowed to listen to secular music until the 7th grade with some exceptions like Shania Twain and Backstreet Boys. However, she still grew up in an active music program through church, informed by choir yet still craving pop: “I had a boombox radio and a Fisher Price tape recorder/karaoke machine and would sneak around my parents and listen to 95.5 The Beat and record my favorite songs on tape in my room.” Both styles deeply informs her work, explaining, “Because of my childhood, I’m very influenced by hymns and those strong repetitive melodies, minimal instrumentation, and symbolism. I used to be upset about missing out on the culture but now I see it as just a part of my story — it’s given me this sense of wonderment and discovery when I learn about new genres and artists.”

The segway into “East Coast”, set in the neon and laughter of a carnival ground at night, is a cozy and cute look into queer love, Lady Clementine’s hot date played by with real life partner and collaborator, Toni Williams of Cultivating Cultures and Taste ATL to name a few. “East Coast” is also a love song to Buford Hwy. “Growing up in predominantly white spaces created a strange sense of ethnic identity for me, but sometimes my dad would take me to Atlanta’s Chinatown on Buford Hwy where I would be transported into a world where people looked like me,” Lady Clementine recalls. “It is a strange sensation to feel separated by language from people who look like you and connected by language in a community where you are ‘other’. The ‘East Coast’ video is playful and fun, but on a deeper level it’s about nostalgia for that sense of belonging in a space that doesn’t belong to you completely. I love that, as much as Atlanta has changed over the years, Buford Hwy has maintained its vibrant and diverse immigrant community.”

Both songs in their separate stories meld together effortlessly with the help of DJ and Bae Worldwide creator Mikkoh, who directed alongside Paul Nguyen and a solid team of folks who elevated their technical wizardry to help visualize Lady Clementine’s tales to fruition. “Watching another Asian American woman so powerfully wield her gifts and direct an entire cast and crew with confidence was an unanticipated benefit of the project. The team on this project made all the difference. I have loved PollyVisuals’ work for years and always looked forward to a day when we could work together. It was so fun to have a chance to work with friends and so refreshing to have an entire cast and crew of artists of color,” Lady Clementine gushes. “I could go into the love and admiration I have for each individual person involved and their unique contributions to the film, so I'll just say that every person in the credits is very special and making the world a better place through their art and existence.”

The video premiere, followed by a private Pose watch party, will be happening tonight at 9PM in the Edgewood neighborhood. DM IG@ladyclementinesfantasticparty to reserve a limited seat and for the location of this event. Paris on Ponce will open the Bastille Day Burlesque show with an additional screening on July 13th.

Follow LCFP on Spotify and Facebook for upcoming releases and event dates.

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Sunni Johnson is the Arts Editor of WUSSY and a writer, zinester, and musician based in Atlanta, GA.

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