fuckyeahalisonmosshart:

The Kills: The Last Goodbye

Samantha Morton Helms an Emotive Music Video Portrait of the Rock Duo

The Kills celebrate 10 years of musical partnership with this poignant and playful video, directed by Oscar nominated actress Samantha Morton. The captivating, melancholic song “The Last Goodbye” offsets the hard-edged sound Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince are known for with haunting vocals and a nostalgic piano loop. “I wanted to make it completely different from anything we’d normally do”, explains Hince. “I used an octagon keyboard from the 60s which takes flexi-discs with real bands playing and mixes them together.” For the video—an experience Hince and Mosshart usually find unfulfilling and frustrating—the duo enlisted the talents of Morton, who made her directorial feature debut this year with The Unloved. Shot in monochrome on crisp, silvery 35mm, the video reflects the beautiful simplicity of the track, with an old-school photo booth providing an intimate backdrop for Mosshart’s intense and heart-warming opening performance followed by a series of touching to-camera poses reflecting the musicians’ longstanding, spirited friendship. “Life goes on,” says Mosshart of the touching ballad. “It starts off being the end of the world but then ends up alright.” Here Mosshart and Hince share their memories of their first meeting and a decade of collaboration.

Alison on Jamie:
“When I first met him I thought he was the coolest guy in the world; I was completely fascinated by him. I had an immediate desire to do something with him – it was the best decision I’ve ever made. We’ve had so much fun over the past twelve years. I’ll never forget our first gig—February 14 2002 in front of 70 people. It was the scariest moment of our lives. We couldn’t believe we were doing it. We’d spent six months booking the tour, by letters as it was before email. We stayed wherever we could, going on the greatest adventure of our lives. By the end of the tour the rooms were full because of word of mouth. I remember those first years so clearly because you’re so involved and so in charge of your destiny. I don’t take any of this for granted—it’s still as exciting and interesting and there’s still more to discover.”
 
Jamie on Alison:
“In 2000, I was in another band and she was staying in the apartment below. Se would sit outside my window and listen to me play guitar, a bit like a stalker. When we first met, she was painfully shy. She’d grown up in a skate scene in Florida so she wasn’t really aware of any bands. It felt incredible to be able to introduce her to the music I loved. She absorbed it all and loved it all. The first time I saw her perform was like watching Patti Smith for the first time. This awkward little sparrow on stage just had so much confidence and was obviously so comfortable performing. It was fascinating. I thought if I was going to be in another band it was going to be with her. She’s my best friend and has been in every aspect of my life.”