Dan Mangan Shares A New Perspective In Video For “Lay Low”
Vancouver based Dan Mangan released the new video for track “Lay Low.” The song is from his 2018 album More or Less, but the music video was shot over the span of a year, as the pandemic brought about lockdowns and stay at home orders.
Musically, “Lay Low” is a quiet track; vulnerable in its lyrics that speak to going through the motions of social graces and socializing when in reality you’d be more comfortable elsewhere, and on your own. Though the song was released prior to the pandemic and it changes to everyday life, the introspective nature of the song is something many have been faced with as they’ve been forced to slow down and reevaluate.
The music video follows the experiences of a toddler – August (Auggie) – as they confront a whole range of emotions over a year spent in lockdown. Of director Deryn Robson’s work on the video, Mangan says that it “perfectly captured the listless feeling of floating through moments.” Robson revealed that his toddler is no stranger to Mangan’s music, and that his music has become a staple in their ‘quarantimes playlist.’ “August particularly loved the song, and would sing along, unaware of the meaning,” he shared.
The unapologetic display of emotions shown throughout the video match the openness of the lyrics, and really represent the ups and downs and confusion many have felt while navigating the uncertainty of the past year. From crying over a juice box to excitedly jumping on a bed in beams of sunlight, the video tugs at the heartstrings in its candid approach. Robson says that he saw himself in Auggie’s reactions: “it immediately became apparent to me that much of my own internalized feelings of uncertainty, frustration and fear were freely expressed by August on a daily, sometimes hourly basis.”
The music video brings new meaning to “Lay Low” while offering an at a glance view of the muddied emotions that came with the new reality of the last year. Maybe you’ll see some of yourself in Auggie, too.
