Behind Christopher Owens’ ‘Nothing More Than Everything to Me’ Video
Christopher Owens has always been adept at bringing sounds from the past into his present work, and in his new video for "Nothing More Than Everything to Me" — off his second solo album, September 30th's A New Testament — the ex-Girls leader reaches back to another era visually with help from director Max Minghella (the son of Oscar-winning visionary Anthony Minghella). Rolling Stone tagged along for the two-day shoot in Los Angeles to get a behind-the-scenes look at how the clip — featuring kids, school scenes and a classic high-school dance — came together. Check out our exclusive photos, with commentary from Owens:
-
(no title)
"This is Luke and Emily, they're the stars of the show. When one needs stars, one goes to Hollywood, so there we were. Working with children is something I always would've loved to do, only I wouldn't have known how. Getting to actually do it was surreal, it was great fun."
-
(no title)
"Kids are great because they don't need any makeup and they don't need to be told to act naturally. The production on this shoot was so professional that it may have actually been intimidating, but the kids made us forget all that. The fella in the grey suit is John Anderson, I think you can tell from our faces how much fun we're having."
-
(no title)
"Here I am with drummer Derek James. Having a good time with something as mundane as a Coke. I live in San Francisco and most of my band live in Los Angeles, so it was nice to get the chance to just spend some time together as well."
-
(no title)
"This is Max Minghella, I'm the one with the crazed look on his face. This was my first time meeting Max, before the shoot we had only talked on the phone, and discussed the shoot. I did send him a selfie at one point. Max was managing the crew and the kids with absolute ease, I always felt I was in good hands."
-
(no title)
"It was fun having people in charge, the set was beautiful, the crew were sweet and professional, it was nice to relax and just be part of it."
-
(no title)
"Looks like they're having a good time, too."
-
(no title)
"How about that suit? This is my Buck Owens look."
-
(no title)
"This is the iPad version of those things folks have always put in front of the camera and snapped when the directer shouts, 'Action!' Saves on chalk, I guess."
-
(no title)
"Just enjoying the ride. We were there until about 5 a.m., but I remember being sorry it was over."
-
(no title)
"Nothing like a younger, better looking version of yourself to make you do a little thinking. We actually make a good match, he was just shy enough for it to feel right. Funny thing is, when I was his age I was kept behind closed doors and made to memorize scripture."
-
(no title)
"That's my buddy Corey Lee Granet on bass, Derek hamming it up on drums. Me, as giggly as the kids were. This is the first video for a new album we'll all be touring together, the beginning of many adventures for us. I'm happy to have these guys with me."
-
(no title)
"It's good to see Max smiling there. This whole video was his idea, his story board. To shoot it all in a day took a bit of planning, and I'm sure he had to have been stressed, but it didn't show. Happy faces all around up there."