San Francisco’s dreamy chokecherry return with video for new single ‘Goldmine’

San Francisco’s dreamy chokecherry — comprised of vocalist/guitarist Izzie Clark and vocalist/bassist E. Scarlett Levinson — are back with a gorgeous new single.

Watch the video for “Goldmine,” directed by Jack Boston, here.

This song almost appeared on the band’s Messy Star EP, released last fall.

But something in that moment told chokecherry to hold on to the song. It was ultimately a smart choice, as the song took further shape in seamless fashion when the band returned to the studio with producer Zach Tuch in January.

“Goldmine” is a chokecherry breakup anthem… but with a twist.

“It is completely resolute in the idea that things will never be the same again, playing with modern riffs and brooding harmonies against the backdrop of our youthful inspirations,” says Levinson. “It is reminiscing about a time that no longer exists, and the brutal challenges we find along the path to letting go of something we once cherished.”

It’s a dreamy, breathy-whisper lovesick anthem with a Wes Anderson-like atmosphere, with the occasional break of a symbol ting and crash. Allow the whimsy of the chorus to envelope you and turn your living room, your bedroom, or wherever you may be into a space where the sun sets over crashing waves. Each instrument moves delicately but with purpose, like a time capsule to the best of the ’90s and ’00s. The song was mixed by Chris Coady (DIIV, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Future Islands, Yung Lean).

“I drew upon a recent heartbreak to write some of the lyrics I sing in ‘Goldmine,'” says Clark. “It felt potent and fresh — getting into the studio right away helped me work through some of the emotional disarray I was feeling. The upbeat guitar riff acts as an optimistic bookend, a glimmer of hope against the heartache. The song also explores stages of grief. The bridge is a desperate bargain — ‘If it’s too heavy, we can dumb it down’ — can’t we run back to what’s familiar, even if it comes with gut-wrenching baggage? The song is colored with an almost naive longing for a person (or feeling) you don’t want to let go of yet.”

Levinson concurs, “My hope is that people who listen feel the tangible nostalgia and know they aren’t alone in whatever loss they’re experiencing; it is a collective sorrow. I feel endless heartbreak over parts of my past that no longer live in my present, and Goldmine helps me slip into the rose-colored reminiscence of those days. The title lyrics ‘Goldmine, tastes just like a fire’ allude to the idea that the most beautiful things can burn you, but the chorus is a simple confession of still missing and longing for that time (no matter how imperfect). We’ve all been there.”

Regarding the video itself, director Boston said, “It was important that every decision we made had motivation, no matter how abstract. You can watch it and just enjoy the vibe, but there’s intention behind all of it. It’s a breakup song; breakups come with a spectrum of emotion. I was also drawn to the idea that the physical location of an intense breakup becomes emotionally radioactive — like Chernobyl or something — and leaves a kind of residue in the air.”

The current state of the world has inspired the band’s new music, and they are tapping into their resulting emotions. “This feeling is not simply heartbreak over a person or relationship, but heartbreak over the state of the world and the loss of innocence and childhood. We are watching our past, present, and imagined futures being stripped away from us,” says Levinson. “We are diving into this not just lyrically but sonically, taking inspiration from Beach House, Frou Frou, Brian Jonestown Massacre, and Dehd.”

Chokecherry have been steadily making noise since forming. The San Francisco Gate praised chokecherry‘s “blend of white-hot shoegaze,” calling it “the modern sound of the California sun vaporizing the San Francisco fog.” Clark and Levinson may not have worked out on the romantic front, but the pair are clearly musical soulmates and it’s a beautiful thing to witness and hear.