An intimate outpouring of raw inner pain and tension, Frames’ “Hell” channels stunning emotion into a tender and catchy pop/rock song that hits hard, but ultimately feels real good.
for fans of Beabadoobee, Clairo, Snail Mail, Soccer Mommy
Stream: “Hell” – Frames
I don’t think I had even buried the last of my pain when I was shooting that video, so I wonder if that shows at all.
“You’re giving me a headache, you’re giving me hell,” sings a vulnerable Frames on her haunting single. It’s not often we recognize our own insecurities and shortcomings through as vivid a lens as she does; it’s not often we are willing to be this honest with ourselves. An intimate outpouring of raw inner pain and tension, “Hell” channels stunning emotion into a tender and catchy pop/rock song that hits hard, but ultimately feels real good.
We’re just going through the motions
I wanna make it work, you never wanna talk
You only love me when I’m patient
But anxiety’s a demon I can’t shake off
And I think I should leave, it’s too early to tell
You’re giving me a headache, you’re giving me hell
Summer, you had addictions, I had convictions
Sober was never your plan, neither was I
Over, but can we be friends, maybe at 2am
Can I sleep over without your friend there
Is she just a friend
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering the Shane Scherholz-directed music video for “Hell,” taken off Frames’ 2019 debut EP Cursed (released September 20, 2019 via Know Hope Records). The musical moniker for Richmond, VA-based artist Sarah Phung, Frames is a dynamic alternative artistry unto herself: A little bit emo and a little bit pop, her songs are lyrically and melodically driven, with evocative guitars and tight rhythm sections supporting her seamless, stirring vocals. She describes her debut EP as “a short and sweet selection of songs written about fleeting crushes and broken relationships”; in seventeen minutes, the artist lays herself bare through a series of lyrical confessions and musical overhauls that break her down, only to build her back up again.
The EP’s penultimate track, “Hell” finds Frames addressing a lover/ex-lover directly in a moment of turbulence and fracture:
And I think you should leave, I won’t do it first
When you leave it’ll be a blessing, and I’ll like how it hurts
We’re just going through the motions
I wanna make it work, you never wanna talk
You only love me when I’m patient
But insecurity’s a demon I can’t shake off
I don’t think I can leave, and I got time to kill
You’re giving me a headache, you’re giving me hell
“‘Hell’ was my reprieve from a situation I didn’t understand enough to fully process,” Sarah Phung tells Atwood Magazine. “It didn’t help or stop any of the sadness I was feeling, but it delayed it long enough for me to break it down enough to make sense of it. There’s some heavy subject matter involving wandering hearts and addiction, and then there’s a fun little Jim Jones reference (“Will you suffer for your cause, drink it from a glass, or will you wait for the applause?”) and I could go into just that line alone for hours but it basically boils down to narcissism and self destructive habits, something this person really struggled with and if I’m being honest, I have too. All that in a soft poppy tune.
Directed by Shane Scherholz, the “Hell” music video brings us up-close and personal into Phung’s world, giving her audience a powerful first-hand look at this intense inner struggle to reconcile the relationship she wants to have, versus what’s in her emotional and mental health’s best interest.
“The music video was a life changing experience. It’s one thing to write songs about these intimate experiences; I’m still able to select who sees my vulnerability and curate the forms in which they see it,” Phung relates. “It was groundbreaking for me to have to physically emote and wear that song… on camera. I don’t think I had even buried the last of my pain when I was shooting that video, so I wonder if that shows at all. But I think when we wrapped it up, I felt so much lighter. This song is really close to me and always will be, and I hope it can be a reprieve for other people.”
Will you suffer for your cause, drink it from a glass
Or will you wait for the applause, and when I call
If I tell you that I need you, will you tear down all
Your walls
“Hell” and all its turmoil feel all the more real through this music video; already a dynamic, enchanting song, this intimate visual gives Frames’ track new life and legs, and will hopefully lead listeners back to her debut EP. The kind of upheaval that ultimately leaves one feeling shaken, but freed, “Hell” is a deep cleanse; a heavy sigh of relief and release at the breaking point.
Stream Frames’ new music video exclusively on Atwood Magazine, and stay tuned for more from this exciting talent!
We’re just going through the motions
I wanna make it work, you never wanna talk
You only love me when I’m patient
But impatience is a demon I can’t shake off
Is it too late to leave, it’s too late now to tell
You’re giving me a headache, you’re giving me hell
:: stream/purchase Cursed EP here ::
— —
Stream: “Hell” – Frames
— — — —
Connect to Frames on
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Discover new music on Atwood Magazine
? © 2020
:: Stream Frames ::
