Video Premiere: ‘How to Quit’ by Pet Fox
On their latest music video, Boston-based indie rock band Pet Fox navigate the ups and downs of life in the music sphere, combining melancholy melody lines and fuzzy guitar with cool, shifting colors and a minimalist setup. The video features the song “How To Quit,” a track off of their eponymous debut released in early August of last year. Directed by Ryan Dight, it employs psychedelic visuals, miniature toy animals, balloons, and varying shots of all four band members rehearsing together in Allston’s Studio 52, a community artist space and former venue.
Theo Hartlett, lead vocalist for Pet Fox, explains that the song “How To Quit” is based off of the challenges that he has faced as a musician and the idea of reconciling feelings of self-doubt with a passion for and pride in one’s work. “Essentially, I caught myself just writing about how to quit the reality that is struggling financially, wanting to do more things creatively, having to work a day job, and [finding] all this extra motivation to have a creative mind and be able to tour and write and record music,” Hartlett says. “It’s not so much ‘how to quit’ music, but it’s more so, ‘how to quit’ just giving up on yourself.”
As the video progresses, the colors and transitions become more sporadic and dynamic. “I definitely think that the vibe is reflected in the video with the different colors,” says Jesse Weiss, drummer for Pet Fox. “It goes in and out, from blue to red, to kind of the white light at the end of the tunnel.”
Pet Fox have recently completed their second LP, which they have tentative plans to release over the summer this year. Watch the video for “How To Quit” below, and catch Pet Fox on May 5th at O’Brien’s Pub with UV Rays, Hellrazor, and Curse Word, a new Boston-based band.