The IVERSEN’s last song “Amsterdam” is in fact a sensual picture of being on your own lost in a foreign city while being retrospectively glance on a horizon represented by the images of canals and struggling with the desire for warm companionship. The song was crafted in the wake of Jonathan Royall’s stag party in Amsterdam by singer/songwriter Josh Iverson who is able to spin raw emotion into beautiful poetry as it contained his journey.
The video is a DIY creation to match the charm of the song whose different sides are shown by Iverson appearing as a filmmaker, animator, and editor among others in the video. Tongue-in-cheek confession of its budget limitations, the film, however, hilariously switches the city landscapes of Amsterdam for canal area in Hackney. Despite its simplicity the video accurately, plainly, and honestly emphasizes the key points of the song.
The creation goes along with icy guitars, dreamy pads which bring even early 80s synth experimentation and sophisticated pop sounds to mind and produce bands like Prefab Sprout. Iverson’s contemporary take on the song produces a nostalgic and romantic aura that ultimately leads to a climax in the form of dreamlike vistas filtered through a saxophone and a cathartic release.
Commenting on the song’s inspiration, Iverson reveals, “The song is dedicated to Jonny – a tribute to him as a friend and a colleague. We have a very romantic slant in our music but the best thing to me in my life is the friends so I wanted to show my love to him with the lyrics in this track.”
The ‘Amsterdam’ video is witness to the DIY aesthetic and the honest feelings of the song. The message of friendship and the worldwide wanderlust dreams of the human race are beautifully portrayed through the video. While listening to the IVERSEN’s tranquil soundscapes and engaging landscapes, viewers will be led to an inner travel and overall feeling of connection with others, triggered by the performer’s sincere emotions and melodies.
