From the streets to the studio to the stage, Taleen Kali is here to make noise. “I have seen hell / I have seen rain / I have seen structures / Speak past their names,” the LA-based indie rocker growls on “Flower of Life,” the ripper of a lead single and title track off her forthcoming Jeff Schroeder (of The Smashing Pumpkins) and Josiah Mazzaschi–produced album. Released in April, the song is a self-described battle anthem with a clear message: “We will survive.” Now a music video offers another invitation to march—and mosh—with that message in mind.
“‘Flower of life’ was a spiritual concept I held onto for a long time before writing this song,” says Kali. “The flower is a fractal, a cycle, ever blooming, ever decaying. For our first music video, we wanted to honor this cycle by highlighting the cultural moments we experienced in the recent past as a way of celebrating our resilience while also looking ahead to the future. For our band right now, that means being able to perform again and tour to support our upcoming album. In the larger scheme of things, it means so much more.”
Directed by Joe Rubinstein, the visual pairs footage of a thrashing studio performance with flowers, marches, and protests. “It was important to us to not only highlight resistance but also celebration in the music video,” Kali explains. “The news clips in the video range from footage of LGBTQ pride marches to recent protests, which include the recent Roe v. Wade demonstrations, Armenians in LA protesting the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, Black Lives Matter, and even the 2017 Women’s March.” Check out the fired-up final cut below.
Flower of Life is out March 3 via Dum Dum Records. You can pre-save the album here, and pre-order vinyl here.
