Kevin Bronson on May 16th, 2019

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All Things Blue have the blues, and you can see it all over the face of India Coombs, the creative force behind the band, in the new video for “Designed Inversions.” It’s a familiar feeling for any DIY artist: the disconnect between pursuing your passion and doing what it takes to pay the bills.

“In this day in age, being an independent artist sadly requires a certain level of monetary dedication,” Coombs says. “If you don’t work a job, or have some sort of support system in place, you can’t pay the bills to survive, let alone afford the privilege to create art.

“There’s a trend within the creative community to present the illusion that one is able to sustain themselves solely on their art. In this video, I explore these contrasting areas of my own life: the time spent working in this damned capitalist society, versus the joy of escaping from the monotony to create. It reveals how my self that is fulfilled through art, gets my 9-to-5 self (in my case my 5:30 a.m.-to-2 p.m. self) through the moments of ‘What am I doing here?’ daydreams.”

The video, directed by the artist’s brother, Eric Coombs Esmail, finds her working a dreary day job while listening to her artistic alter ego. There are pleasures, to be sure — contemplative days on the beach, enjoying the company of friends, playing with her band (Zach Esposito, Sean Tittle, Jonathan Hall and Lexi Vega). But at the core, it’s the chorus: “Keep on running to your dreams / Don’t forget what it is you want to mean.”

The song is from All Things Blue’s latest EP, “Doomed to Lose.”

||| Watch: The video for “Designed Inversions”