“I want to be honest with my music” — Kat Marcella on her self-directed “Girls” music video

Kat Marcella has released a gorgeous music video for her song “Girls” from the EP, Love Makes Me Cry. The video explores the inner turmoil of The Lead, played by Kat, and her desire to pursue another woman despite being in a broken relationship with the Boyfriend. The tension between the Girl Crush and The Lead is so intense and portrayed well in these dreamlike sequences of yearning that are intercut with the party and dance scenes. Below is an interview with Kat. Connect with Kat Marcella here.

Schuy: Given the number of locations, how intense and long was the shoot process for the music video?

Kat: I worked on the storyline and detailing over about two months before going into the shoot because there were so many moving pieces. I wanted to ensure I took my time with this, and  we split the shoot into two days for that reason. The party scene ended up being a 10 hour day and there were a lot of people to provide direction to. It was a party for everyone else, and for me, it was work in the best way.

Schuy: Since it fully felt like work for you, does that mean you were directing this video while also starring in it?

Kat: I was fully creative directing everything. I wrote out the storyline and had my friend Michelle as my DP (director of photography) to help me capture the shots that I envisioned. I was lucky to have an entire team of friends who were supportive in trying things out to get the shots we needed.

Schuy: Was this your first opportunity to fully own the creative vision and control what the video was?

Kat: This was my first real baby where I wasn’t constrained with time/budget. I’ve worked successfully with directors in the past and gave my ideas to them to collaborate on the video, but it was nice to take my time with getting the idea to come to life. My goal was to make this indie budget video look like a higher budget project and the editor, Linferd, really helped make that possible.

Schuy: What drove that choice of not having you and Girl Crush kiss in the video after all that tension?

Kat: It’s not an isolated experience that I’ve been through as a bisexual person, but it encapsulates that meekness of not being fully comfortable with my own bisexuality and what many girls may feel. Those tense shots are all a part of the fantasy and even the yearning for the kiss lives within that fantasy. I really wanted the angry boyfriend to be a part of this story to represent the “wrongness” that may be thrown at queer people exploring their sexuality.

Schuy: What was it like shooting these intimate scenes with your friend?

Kat: Vera is such a sweetheart and is a friend of a friend who agreed to do this video. It was very comfortable working with her, but I think it might have been more awkward with a close friend.

Schuy: Will there be any other visuals coming from Love Makes Me Cry? 

Kat: There is another one coming but it’s gonna be a surprise! :)

Schuy: What was the writing process like for “Girls”? The song and production are phenomenal.

Kat: Shoutout Tommy (LOUD HOUND) for the production! I’m very much a singer-songwriter right now so he’s the one behind the instrumentation for my recent music. I’m working towards more of that 50/50 co-producing split in the future.

Schuy: With writing, are you intentionally writing song lyrics? Or do you write poetry and find bits that could become music?

Kat: I wait so long to write because I really care about my voice and what I’m trying to say. I want to be honest with my music. When I write, I know that I’m trying to write for music. If I’m writing poetry, it’s strictly meant to be poetry. I have a book of poems (A Fire Inside Her) that was about a very rough time for me, but I never turned any of those into songs.

Schuy: What’s next for you?

Kat: An album is in the works for release next year! I’ll be working with Tommy from LOUD HOUND again and the content will be very focused on grief. I really want to hone in on my indie rock sound.

Schuy: Is there anything else you want the readers to know?

Kat: I love when people go back to older songs. It’s important to go back through an artist’s old songs and feel free to go back through my older songs because it will help provide context for where I’m at with this EP.

I’ve been skateboarding since age 7, my favorite color is blue, and I really love indie rock music.

Schuy: Who are some of your favorite indie artists/bands?

Kat: King Krule has been my favorite for years. An influence when I was younger was CASTLEBEAT. Currently, I’m really liking Fog Lake, Deeper, and Pity Party (Girls Club).