Alexis Normand (formerly of Rosie and the Riveters) shares new video for “Hidden Valley”
Singer-songwriter Alexis Normand recently shared the stunning new video for her recent single “Hidden Valley.”
“It was important for me to shoot the video in the location that inspired the song, Eastend, Saskatchewan. So director Matt Smith and I drove 4 hours (one way!) to get there;” shares Alexis.
The lead single from her forthcoming 2023 album was produced by James Bunton (Donovan Woods, Celeigh Cardinal) and came to life during an artist residency she took part in Eastend. During the residency, Alexis began to feel more comfortable providing space for both her anglophone and francophone identities to complement each other.
“I completely underestimated how difficult the emotional work would be and how LONG it would take to work through the discomfort and fear around my insecurities around language, identity, and place before I could write songs about them;” shares Alexis. “The isolation I experienced at the month-long residency last December was key to confronting these fears.”
As for the video concept, created by Alexis, she also wanted to highlight the lesser-known Saskatchewan landscapes that inspired this cruiser song.
“The idea of a road trip video became the obvious choice and we made a few pit stops along the way to shoot some footage. I’m glad we made it all the way to that valley because we were able to capture the essence of the place for the shoot – both visually and energetically.”
Eastend is located 4-hours from Saskatoon in the southwestern part of Treaty 4 Territory, with the Wallace Stegner House (where the residency took place) nestled in the twists and turns of the Frenchman River and its surrounding hills.
“While I was at the residency, I made a point of going for a run every day where I’d be greeted by SO much wildlife on the trails;” says Alexis. When she needed a longer pause, she’d drive the 40k round trip through the “Valley of Hidden Secrets” – vestiges of the ice age that stretch between Eastend and Ravenscrag, the neighbouring town 20 km down the grid road. She’d drive up to Jones Peak where she’d sit there, bundled in her warmest winter jacket to protect herself from the wind, and surrender to the beauty and balance of the valley. “This song is an homage to the place where my new repertoire finally found its voice and intimacy”.
Next year, Alexis will release a bilingual and deeply personal record that dives into her francophone experience living in a minority-language context. Produced by James Bunton (Donovan Woods, Celeigh Cardinal), the album marks her long-awaited return as a solo artist, one brimming with warmth and vulnerability.