The Joy Formidable Hold Stance on Self Worth on “Back to Nothing”

Updated:

June 1, 2021 9:26 am

Exploring the power of self worth, self-love, and set boundaries, The Joy Formidable look at the push and pull of human nature on “Back to Nothing,” off their upcoming fifth album Into The Blue, out Aug. 20.

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“Back To Nothing takes a stance on self-compassion, realizing your worth and your boundaries,” says singer Rhiannon “Ritzy” Bryan, “and deciding not to give your love to an undeserving other.”

Singing I don’t want you to save me now let this in, there’s no meeting in the middle now, “Back to Nothing” take a slow, dreamy dive into the psyche of balancing of one’s innate desires and overall well-being.

Following up the band’s 2018 release AARTH, Into The Blue was originally written by the band—Ritzy, along with bassist Rhydian Dafydd, and drummer Matthew James Thomas—in the their native Wales and completed at their homes in Utah. Into the Blue is narrative on the surrender to beauty, magic, and love and “making to the other side,” a message that resonates deeply following the past year with a pandemic. “Whilst not conceived as a metaphor for the times we all live in now,” says Ritzy, “it certainly turned out that way.”

Described as a “beautiful challenge,” the shadowy imagery in the video, shot and directed by Bryan and Dafydd in their current home base of Southern Utah, depicts the darker elements of losing and finding oneself.

“We’ve always enjoyed making our own visuals,” shares Ritzy. “This was a bit more ambitious in the way of getting to the location an tasking ourselves with editing huge 360 files. I’ve learned a lot about keyframing in a very short amount of time.”

Filmed from dusk til dawn at one of Ritzy’s secret mountain hideaways, the duo wanted a video that was “alive” and comprised elements of nature and past, while playing with one’s perspective.

“To be able to zoom out and change your view of the world and your own reality,” says Ritzy, “It’s a humbling tool that can push you to treat yourself and the people around you a little bit better.”