I’ll be loving you or nothing
It’s so much easier to focus on love’s positives: The warmth; the understanding; the camaraderie and understanding. Yet to know love is also to know pain, as anyone who’s loved can surely attest. It’s an overwhelming emotional endeavor that comes at a high price, as can be felt in FERGUS’ debut release, “You or Nothing.” Solemn, bittersweet and beautiful, “You or Nothing” captures the weight of love and the purity of devotion through serene sounds, haunting melodies and an incredibly humbling visual.
Lift me up
Then hang me out to dry
You may learn someday
It’s not about the time
Wrap me up
Lay flowers by my side
Icy depths
Waiting open wide
Watch: “You or Nothing” – FERGUS
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering the music video for “You or Nothing,” FERGUS’ poignant debut single. Directed by videographer Jack Lightfoot and shot in one take at the stunning St Giles in the Fields church in London, “You or Nothing” presents complex emotions in a simple, radiant light. We meet FERGUS in a hauntingly dark place, but instead of volatility, we discover peace: A naked guitar lays a soft, mellow chord progression, upon which the singer/songwriter – originally from Cambridge, now based in London – delivers his heartfelt soliloquy.
Oh, I’ll be loving
You or Nothing
Still the voices
Inside this addled mind
Still this heart
And leave the pain behind
“You or Nothing” is a vivid portrait aching with sincerity, the sort of exposed vulnerability that tugs at your heartstrings. “We wanted to create something simple and beautiful to complement not only the song itself, but also the slightly corrupted devoutness present throughout ‘You or Nothing,'” FERGUS says of the music video. “We got really lucky with St Giles-in-the-Fields; and to film in such a stunning church, in the sort of setting I spent so much of my childhood, felt surreal and fittingly full circle. The way the camera sweeps around me reminds me of a spinning ballerina in a music box, put on display for all to see – an image I think perfectly embodies the bittersweet nature of the track.”
Lift me up and hang me out to dry
Wrap me up, lay flowers by my side
Gather round, see me where I lie
Oh I’ll be loving you, or nothing
“You or Nothing” is not so much a “love song” as it is a song about devotion, and devotion comes in so many forms. His message could be addressing a former partner, or a deceased relative. It could be an excerpt from one’s wedding vows, or the final message in a closed text message thread. In any case, the church setting adds to the song’s majesty, evoking a sense of holiness that elevates the romantic into the sacred.
And if anything in this life is sacred, it’s love.
“’You or Nothing’ is more of a snapshot than a story,” FERGUS says of his song. “It captures an unfamiliar feeling caught between complex emotions. I like the combination of the simple, clear sounds and the maybe-dark-maybe-sweet lyrics. There’s a holiness to it you can hold up and examine in the light, but you might not like what you find.”
Debuting with fervent ardor and stunningly subtle grace, FERGUS is most certainly an artist to keep watching throughout the year. “You or Nothing” expresses through music what so many of us struggle to say in words alone: It’s the highest dedication, the most powerful surrender of self.
— — — —
Connect to FERGUS on
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Discover new music on Atwood Magazine
© Jack Lightfoot 2018
