Last week, nineteen-year-old songwriter and producer John-Robert dropped his debut EP Bailey Barley Knew Me, and like countless other musicians right now, he’ll have to rely on live streams to promote the new music. Fortunately, he was able to get some touring in prior to lockdown, including a March 4 show at LA’s The Echo, which was captured on film.
Today, John-Robert is sharing the clip for his performance of the Bailey track “Pelican” from that night, where he plays the song solo with his guitar. The video also packs in plenty of back-stage footage, providing the full live-music experience. “The video was shot by my good friend Spencer Ford who has done some spectacular work with BROCKHAMPTON, and also directed the music video for my tunes ‘Pelican’ and ‘Urs,’” he explains. “I’m ecstatic that he captured the live performance, the pre-show prep, and the post-performance banter. There’s a comfort that comes with having butterflies in my stomach, because it lets me know I care about the performance.
“I miss the excitement of the live show experience,” he concludes. “Being able to playfully tease the audience and feed off of each other’s energy. The mutual give and take. It’s still possible to feel that sense of community online, but in a club setting the energy is more palpable.”
Watch the clip below.
