Watch Tegan and Sara’s Stark ‘White Knuckles’ Video
“Doubled like a couple, we stood/ Stood out in the light/ Clutching each other like/ Knuckles turned white,” Tegan and Sara sing on synth-pop ballad “White Knuckles.” A pair of interpretive dancers bring those lyrics to life in the clip’s minimalist, black-and-white video directed by Minister Akins.
Staged in a forest, the video alternates between the two dancers (Mela Murder and Kaner Flex) and Tegan and Sara on the verge of tears. “Luck be damned,” the Quin sisters sing over slick synths and echoing programmed drums intercut with shots of shattering glass.
“White Knuckles” is featured on Tegan and Sara’s eighth LP, Love You to Death, released in June. The pop-rock duo previously promoted the album with singles “Boyfriend,” “U-Turn,” “100x” and “Stop Desire,” along with videos for “Faint of Heart” and “BWU.”
“We went pop because I wanted to make music that sounded different from what we were doing, and Tegan wanted to be more successful,” Sara told Rolling Stone of the band’s recent sonic shift. “I respect albums you have to listen to 10 times to get into it, but that’s not our band. Tegan and I walk into every room like the only way we’ll survive is if we talk and charm everyone. We’re not slow-burn people. I am a politician; I go around the room and talk to everybody. I think our songs do the same thing.”