Fonteyn—a.k.a. singer-songwriter Suzanne May—has a knack for crafting sepia-tone sunshine pop that shamelessly, satisfyingly evokes one of her idols: Carole King. But a new visual for “Girl on a Motorcycle”—directed by May and Julianne Brough and edited by May—shows the UK-born, Salt Lake City–based musician embodying another legend: Marianne Faithfull.
“‘Girl on a Motorcycle’ is an homage to the 1968 film of the same name,” says May. “The song seeks to capture the quirky, ethereal tone of the film while at the same time give the feel of a motorcycle engine chugging along. The video is heavily inspired by the imagery of the film and the lead character, played by Marianne Faithfull, and her bewitching performance.”
In the original film, Faithfull's character, Rebecca, ditches her husband via motorcycle to reconnect with a lover. For Fonteyn, the theme of freedom is paramount: “Girl, rebellion is the only thing that's keeping you alive,” she sings in the track. “Girl, like a little mouse inside your cage until you ride.”
“Girl on a Motorcycle” is the third single off Fonteyn’s forthcoming EP Trip the Light Fantastic. Check out the video below, and pre-order the EP—out August 12 via Born Losers—here.
