Depicting a night on the town gone weird, Bastille’s new video, “Quarter Past Midnight,” immerses viewers in a trippy fever dream of hedonism that spirals out of control.
Shot by Austin Peters (who directed Bastille’s “Flaws,” “Laura Palmer” and “Oblivion” videos), it all begins with frontman Dan Smith’s iconic hair being attacked with a razor. He then finds himself taking one surreal turn after another. View the video HERE. Dan Smith says:
We made the video over a couple of days and nights in Paris with our incredibly talented friend, and long-time collaborator, Austin Peters. It’s a nod towards some of our favorite films and directors. Like the album as a whole, it’s a surreal journey through euphoric highs and lows of a night, and all that comes with it: the escapism, warped realities, and unclear memories.
“It’s way easier to escape in the night time”- Dan Smith
A bunch of friends came along to be involved and help make the video. We’re really happy that they did because it’s a celebration of all the amazing people who are partying and feeling alive at night, in light of the strange, dark world we live in. And we could all use a bit of celebration sometimes.
“Quarter Past Midnight” is an escapist anthem with breakbeats and drum fills loosely inspired by ’90s dance music plus a euphoric hook that is an unmistakable signature of the UK band. In its first week at Alternative radio, it was #1 Most Added, #1 Greatest Gainer, and rocketed to No. 12* on the chart – becoming Bastille’s fastest-climbing single ever. Worldwide streams already exceed six million.
The song is the lead single from Bastille’s forthcoming third album, the follow-up to 2016’s Wild World. Recorded and self-produced in the band’s newly built studio – a former porn studio that now also houses Smith’s record label, Best Laid Plans (Rag N’Bone Man, Rationale) – the track’s nocturnal setting evokes the infinite possibilities that darkness brings.
“It’s way easier to escape in the night time,” says Smith. “Places that aren’t normally open are open to the world, and the places that you associate with reality and work are all shut down. There’s a parallel universe that exists, and this other set of people who are out and about.”
