Indie-Pop Duo The Outview with New Single + Music Video for “W.I.W.S.E”
Words by Mallory Thompson
Graphic by Emily Lantzy
At some point in our lives, I think we have all wished we were someone else. Maybe we wanted something that someone else possessed, or maybe we wanted to change ourselves entirely. Indie-pop duo The Outview explores this idea in their new single “W.I.W.S.E” (Wishing I Was Someone Else). Based in Atlanta, Georgia, brothers Gareth and Ian Calk have been creating alternative indie-pop music with a funky jazz twist. This song is their first 2020 release after the release of their 2019 single “Rich Man’s Road,” which follows a similar vibe.
“W.I.W.S.E” starts out with the song slowly building up with slower beats and then turning up the groove. The first thought I had was that I felt vibes much like the group half•alive, who has a similar sound and style. I was taken aback a bit by the trumpet on the track, but I ended up loving the addition. I also found out that the trumpeter featured is Grammy Award-winning jazz trumpeter Jay Jennings, who is a part of the jazz ensemble Snarky Puppy. The trumpet definitely adds a nice jazz sound to the pop-rock vibe the brothers have created.
Throughout the song, you can hear the strong vocals of both brothers. This especially comes through during the lyrics - “Remembering the days you were young.” There is a run on “young” that is beautiful, and I hope we will hear more of that in their upcoming music.
The bridge goes into a slow ballad with an echoey “I don’t know, I don’t know,” which reminds me of the chorus in Justin Timberlake’s “Suit & Tie.” After the bridge, the pace and the key of the song changes. I wish we got more of the pitch from after the bridge; I really enjoyed this last 30 seconds. The song ramps up and creates a really nice vibe for the ending, but I want more!
Now let's jump to the music video; I’ll give you 2 words: Bank Robbery. I will admit that I am someone who loves a good heist film. I love the thrill of action movies and I was so excited when I saw the concept as a bank robbery. But this isn't any ordinary robbery. One of the brothers goes into the bank and pulls up a gun to see that the teller is wearing a paper bag with a face. He looks around to see that everyone in the bank is wearing paper bags with faces on them. As he’s hiding his identity, all of them are as well. He is offered one of the paper bags and then puts it on. This part feels like he is also accepting to be someone else. As I’m writing this, I also realized that the single art is both brothers in front of a bank vault wearing the paper bags from the video. This is a perfect correlation between both the single and video, which I think is a very unique concept. The music video ends up as a dance sequence with everyone wearing paper bags. It turns out to be a fun dance party that I wish I was invited too.
I will also note that since we are in a TikTok generation, I really hope someone attempts this dance on TikTok... I just might.
I really connect with the lyrics, “I know you hate to say it, but you’re wishing it too,” which deals with the idea that we’ve all been there. Like I said at the beginning, at one point, I think we’ve all experienced the feeling of wanting to be someone else. I think this song explores something that people don’t usually share - which is important. I hope Gareth and Ian continue to express their specific views on topics that might be sensitive; it makes things easier to relate to for fans and future listeners if they can connect with a feeling that we all know. Overall, the messages and overall sounds make this a really strong single. I personally can’t wait to see what comes next for The Outview.