Gaming nostalgia abounds with the new 8-bit style music video for The Subways’ new song “Love Waiting on You”. Using the classic 2-D side-scrolling design, the video sees the band patiently waiting to be rescued by a brave maiden – a nice reversal of the often-gendered roles of the hero and the damsel in distress.
Their knight in shining armor runs through each level as the lyrics to the song gradually pass her by, which makes the video engaging with a nostalgic sense of fun. Commenting on the gender-role-reversing video directed by animator Neil Whitman, front man Billy Lunn recalls, “When Neil initially presented us with the concept of the video as an 8-bit platform-style video game, our drummer, Camille, cleverly proposed that, given how the song is so obviously about yearning, why not instead have the rescuer and the rescued gender roles reversed to change that up”.
As the indie punk band flies through a fun synth-filled song that feels perfect for this style of animation, there’s something endearing about the band having to wait to be rescued. “I saw myself as the Princess Peach character, with the love of my life (about whom the song is written) being my rescuer, fighting through the various obstacles and antagonists along the way. The sense of isolation, helplessness, and vulnerability within the song now made all the more sense to me.”
The video and the song are a straight up good time that hits all the good notes of being familiar with a twist. A nice ode to a loved one that subverts expectations without taking itself too seriously.
“Love Waiting on You” is available now on major streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. The accompanying music video is also available on YouTube. Find this and more excellent music on the Alchemical Records Multigenre Mixture playlist on Spotify and YouTube.
Charlie Maybee is a dancer, musician, educator, and writer based in Charleston, South Carolina who currently teaches with the Dance Program at the College of Charleston. His primary work as an artist is with his performing collective, Polymath Performance Project, through which he makes interdisciplinary performance art that centers tap dance as the primary medium of expression and research. He also currently plays rhythm guitar for the Charleston-based punk band, Anergy, and releases music as a solo artist under the name Nox Eterna.
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Alchemical Records is a Washington, D.C. based music publication. We cover the Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA metro area music scenes, including band interviews, articles about your favorite musicians, new music and concert dates.
