BC Kingdom's new video for "Lock Up," released today on SAINT HERON, throws me back to the days when I waited patiently in
front of MTV for my favorite videos to come on. The video is a stylish dystopian fantasy, featuring face tattoos, jail cells, blinged-out grills, and custom vinyl outfits––not to mention lyrics like "I'll kill you. I'll do it in Versace." It’s cinematic, romantic, and dare I say creepy? Directed by Lane Stewart (also behind the GLASS POPCORN video earlier this year), "Lock Up" reveals a darker side of BC Kingdom.
The song, by the way, is insanely catchy. Since opening Solange's new SAINT HERON compilation last month, "Lock Up" has been on repeat across the globe and on my headphones. Below, I ask BC Kingdom's Logan and Zou about the video, their top 10 TRL-era tracks, and dance parties with Solange.
Check out BC Kingdom's video premiere party tonight at Bootleg Bar in LA
Michelangelo Arevalo: This video has a somewhat dark element. It seems like there is a battle of sanity going on. Is your "Lock Up" deserved?
BC Kingdom: The video depicts a typical story of love: How a person can fall in love so deeply and be so heartbroken that heartbreak drives them to "lock up" their heart from any other love. On the flip side, the song also depicts a state of insanity and delusion via a broken heart. We wanted to showcase the dichotomy between the two messages described within the song. You see us in jail but also in an alternate state of consciousness where we are dreaming about our love lost.
How did you become friends with Solange Knowles?
She's been the boo since 2010, but we had been sporadically seeing her around LA when she lived here. We met at this LA party and ended up dancing all night, basically taking over someone's computer to DJ and change the vibe of the lame party. From there it flourished into a wonderful friendship. We love and respect her so much and she will always be out favorite dance partner! Always!
What’s your working situation with LANE STEWART? How does he translate your sound into visuals?
We met Lane at a performance we did at Freak City in LA in 2011. Lane said he loved our music and movement and believed in it. From there he began immediately assisting with visuals for the BC Kingdom EP and we agreed to him directing "The Melody." From our working experience, Lane became like a brother and we became a great source of inspiration for his aesthetic. He usually gets what we want to do; we meet, exchange ideas, and it becomes what you see. Our music has a certain taste level and Lane is able to project that into visuals. It's all a beautiful collaboration between artists and another artist. Think Gwen Stefani to Sophie Muller, Grace Jones to Jean-Paul Goude, Beyoncé to Jake Nava, Missy Elliott to Hype