Video premiere: Ariel Beesley, ‘Palm Springs’
Kevin Bronson on
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Ariel Beesley might start her video for “Palm Springs” with just an imaginary microphone, but the singer-songwriter has a lot to say. And, owing to her music, she has a platform.
The video for her ’80s-style anthem about escaping the grips of toxic relationships finds Beesley doing band things — flyering, showing off new merch, dancing in the street — along with making a strong political statement about abortion bans. Directed by the artist and Lili Peper, it documents the run-up to the show Beesley put together in June at the Echo, which was a benefit for the ACLU.
“A few months ago when all the abortion bans came to light, I found myself infuriated with no where to put my anger and wanted to do something about it,” she says. “That’s when I came up with the idea to put together a benefit show for the ACLU. Music brings people together. I wanted to create a space for people to physically show up, dance and sing, but also contribute to a cause — to a group that is fighting these bans in the courts, where it matters most.
“With the help of the local community, I put together an all-female-fronted lineup to perform, female vendors selling their designs, and the ACLU of Southern California even came to speak. This music video is a compilation documentary-style video of the process of putting the benefit together. I wanted to show people that if I can do something to make change with no experience, then we all can — and should.”
||| Watch: The video for “Palm Springs”
||| Live: Ariel Beesley performs as part of Festy Baby, a mini-festival on Nov. 30 at the Lodge Room, along with Annabelle Maginnis, Slip, Vs Colour, Andy Clockwise and Collapsing Scenery. Tickets.
||| Previously: “Palm Springs”
[…] career and is now bringing her moxie to musical stages, released an EP in 2018 and tripped out in “Palm Springs” last year. This week brings the release of another nugget, “Honey (Lick It Up),” a song […]