Exploring the Themes of Living a Lie in Music and Its Impact on the Single and Music Video
- TheSurvivalCode
- Jun 3
- 4 min read
Music Video: https://youtu.be/Jd9XVcla4oI?si=DxgnbRSM3p7CVhqO
First single and why
When we finally completed the recording of MMXV in the autumn of 2014, our thoughts immediately turned to selecting a single and shooting any music videos.. "Living A Lie" emerged as a front runner early on. It said a lot about us, had great dynamics, and what we felt to be a strong chorus. It was in a pile of 4 or 5 "possibles." As a band, we liked "Living A Lie," but we wanted to run it by all parties. There are blog posts from then, 2013, 2014, and 2015, with some great insight if you’re interested in reading about what amps and guitars we used, where we recorded it, and more details about the band lineup and members. It’s all in the blog from those years.
David Jaymes
It was just before the release of the album that we met and started working with the label we are still on to this day. Introduced by our dear friend Eoin Glackin from my home town in Dublin.
He was managed by “David Jaymes,” who has been a great assistance to this day whenever something arises. We are on the table associated, known as “Good Deeds,” give or take small changes in that title over the years. Whatever the future holds, we will always be grateful to David for the help.
David heard the album after we had finished recording it and thought it was great (to paraphrase), and he then became instrumental in organizing every aspect of that album release from PR, marketing generally, calling in all his contacts, in fairness, which was greatly appreciated at the time as we were approaching it as novices without any contacts in London despite it being my third year in the City at that stage.
George Taylor - Rank Amateur - director
He agreed "Living A Lie" was strong, and then it was just down to a director and their thoughts. George Taylor was a good friend of David’s, and they had worked together in a variety of capacities over the years. We met with a view of releasing 3 or 4 singles and working together for all of them.
At that time, we believed videos were essential for conveying our message and decided to invest as much in them as we did in the album recording. He also agreed that "Living A Lie" was strong and should be the lead track. With all votes in favor, we were ready to go.
I wish I could say that everything was simple from there, but we made it happen. For a first band music video, it was hugely hugely ambitious and we just got away with it by the skin of our teeth and we really love the outcome
Another person that was integral to the band at that time and someone without, there is simply no way the video would have been possible and that person is : Carley Dale. Aside from helping with so many elements of the band at the time, she helped secure sets such as the “jewellery shop” we needed for a “heist” scene we had in mind. We needed a live venue shooting place and we also needed a few other bits. George did come up with the majority of the others including a court room in his hometown in Shropshire (which is the opening scenes of the video)…
Behind the scene video from the shoot : https://youtu.be/uwDDmh92Tzw?si=-EXYp-0_Pf0H4UYt
Music Video Plot
Before delving into the specifics of each person's contributions, it's important to highlight the lineup we had at that time. We recorded MMXV as a trio, planning to add another member for live performances and shoots afterward. Main lineup:
Tom Cook : Drums
Pete Agnelli : Bass
Me/Gary McGuinness : Guitar / Vox
Grant Magnus - joined after and was a support guitar/vox player
The video plot centers on Grant as the "bad guy." It begins at the docks where I, acting as the judge, hear the case with minimal support for Grant. I dismiss both him and the case, and it seems to be over.
As I exit the courtroom, there's a moment of eye contact between Grant, the convicted defendant, and me as I, the judge, leave and get into a black cab. Grant is with two others, Tom and Pete, who also keep their faces hidden.
The group appears to arrive in a transit van, and they all head back to it, driving off to an unknown destination. Suddenly, my black cab stops at a jewelry store, and the van with Grant, Tom, and Pete also arrives. Meanwhile, they're putting on balaclavas in the van, and I do the same. Together, we rob the jewelry store, revealing that I, the judge, have been complicit with Grant, effectively "Living A Lie."
Filming the jewelry scene was a lot of fun, as expected. It was the hardest location to secure due to our limited budget, and we had to stage a robbery in broad daylight while the store was open, which many were hesitant to allow for fear of reputational damage if seen.
We are thrilled with the final product, even though we exceeded our budget due to timing and last-minute arrangements. We are immensely proud of the video and hope you enjoy it.
We secured an impressive live space, an old RAF aircraft hangar. Its vastness is captured in the video. There's also a behind-the-scenes video from 11 years ago that was "invisible" until now, and we've made it available for more context beyond the video.
Grant joined the band a few weeks before, and a crucial part of his audition was ensuring his availability for the shoot. Although he wasn't on the record, we saw him as a future member to enhance the live show with a 4th backing guitar/vox player, matching the album's high-caliber sound.
Location List
Akbas Wood Green - Jeweler
RAF Aircraft hangar - Bicester
Van and outdoor shots: Wood Green
Court house - Shropshire
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