New York City-based alternative singer-songwriter Alexa Dark owns up to her mistakes with a new dreamy single and music video “Ungrateful,” out today. With biting lyricism and deep Americana tones, Dark aims not to apologize, but to defiantly reclaim and accept herself as she discovers more of who she is and who she will become.
More info about Alexa Dark
Raised between Barcelona, Munich and London, Dark began writing songs and poetry from an early age influenced by an eclectic range of artists from Jack White to Françoise Hardy to Patsy Cline. With a bicoastal lifestyle and roots planted in both New York City and Los Angeles, Dark beautifully weaves the energies of each coast into her music and visuals.
Entrenched in their lively music scenes, Dark has found her sound and her voice as she continues to explore the depths of her artistry. The newest offering follows singles “Fade to Black and Blue” and “Blind Faith,” all three of which were produced by Matt Chiaravalle (Debbie Harry, Warren Zevon), and mastered by Grammy-award winner Emily Lazar (Beck, Haim).
The video, directed by Nick Collingwood and Stephanie Haller and edited by Dark herself, comes into view on a film reel like a hazy, nostalgia-filled memory. Shot on Super 8 film and 35mm, the video follows Dark on a perfect summer day in Brooklyn bouncing between rooftops, sidewalks gently strumming on a teal Fender Stratocaster, mixed with footage of a serene road trip.
Alexa Dark comments on “Ungrateful”
“Ungrateful” started off as a voice memo of me strumming the guitar. I wanted to bottle up the feelings brewing inside of me – feeling unsteady and unsure in my life, yet feeling like I had to figure it all out perfectly. Simultaneously navigating a night out and sifting through my past, “Ungrateful” became a kind of reclamation, an anti-apology, telling the world (and more importantly, myself) to accept my mistakes, because I’m never going to grow if I’m too scared to make them.”
It is in this space that Dark allows herself to be as she is, free of others policing her emotions and dictating her choices as she embraces her shortcomings rather than running from them. Here, Dark is whole and authentic, baring all–even the shadowy parts.
Alexa Dark comments on the video for “Ungrateful”
“Ungrateful” is self-reflective and so personal, illustrating the experience of looking at yourself through different lenses. I wanted to bring this to life in the visualizer, to capture the vintage, dreamy fragments of old memory like watching a home movie, with the lingering nostalgia for adventure. It’s overlooking New York City, but feels desolate and reflective, like a kind of lone cowboy.”
Watch the video below:
With her third single, Dark proves her desire for redemption as she recognizes that growth can only come from discomfort. Alexa Dark has only just begun. “Ungrateful” is out everywhere now. Stay tuned for more from Alexa Dark.
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