A cinematic experience of soaring sonics and intimate visuals, ViVii’s performance video for the songs “Summer of 99” and “Whistle” grounds their ethereal music, bringing a daydream to life right here on earth.
Stream: “Summer of 99 + Whistle” (live) – ViVii
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to keep touring at bay, but Swedish dreampop band ViVii have nevertheless found a way to bring audiences into their home and garden. A cinematic experience of soaring sonics and intimate visuals, their new performance video for the songs “Summer of 99” and “Whistle” grounds their enchanting ethereal music, bringing a daydream to life right here on earth.
The summer of 99, I held up pretty fine
My mother told me, son you better run
The summer of 99, it took me by surprise
Hiding from your eyes, don’t wanna rush
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering the live performance video for ViVii’s recent song releases “Summer of 99” and “Whistle.” Consisting of Emil and Caroline Jonsson and Anders Eckeborn, Stockholm-based dream pop trio ViVii dazzled their way into our lives two and a half years ago, injecting the airwaves with fervent energy and immersive, dulcet tones. Hailed as an Atwood Editor’s Pick in January 2019 for their “colorful and cathartic” song “And Tragic” (which went on to hit #1 on The Hype Machine’s chart), the group released their acclaimed self-titled debut album a year ago in March. They followed their record up earlier this June with “Whistle,” a haunting folk song that feels like it could have come out of an American old Western film. Their latest single, “Summer of 99” arrived this fall as the lead single off their forthcoming sophomore album (set for release next spring).
Oohh, I need u baby
I’m feeling high tonight
Well no one knows that all I do is pose
Pretending I’m ok I’m faking all the way
Hovering above the ground, quiet not a sound
Let me be around to soak the sun
I suited up for war
But i got lost ashore
Defeated by a simple touch
Referred to as venturing “from the green meadows to the big city roller coaster rides of our so called lives,” “Summer of 99” rises out of warm depths to envelop the ears with tender vocals and hauntingly sweet, high guitar work. It’s ViVii’s signature darker ethos, channeled through a canister of light.
Recorded live in Sweden, their new video exemplifies this musical trait. The band look free and unencumbered as they make not just a sound, but an overarching tone that extends from our screens to fill our living rooms with soothing, hypnotic energy.
“Due to the current state of these times that we all are experiencing, we gathered some of our unemployed musician, tech and filmmaker friends and had a weekend full of good times,” ViVii say of their new video. “[It] felt like it was perfect for us to try our songs live with a full band for the first time. Effortless and magical to say the least.”
While these songs are entrancing enough on their own, ViVii’s video is all the more intoxicating: “Summer of 99” was shot in a barn connected to a mansion outside of Uppsala in Sweden. Following that performance, the cameras follow the band outside, where they perform “Whistle” by a small lake in a nearby garden.
What ultimately resonates the most here is the effortlessness with which ViVii capture a room.
They embody the nuance and depth of the music they make, devoting themselves to the sound as they immerse their listeners in the same. However good they were back in 2018, they have clearly upped the ante in 2020 – and while we still wish we could see them live, this kind of live-ish video might be the next best thing. Watch ViVii’s new video exclusively on Atwood Magazine, and stay tuned for more from the Swedish band; their new single “Rendezvous” is out October 14!
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Stream: “Summer of 99 + Whistle” (live) – ViVii
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