Fitzroy Holt shares video for ‘Medicine’
Recently signed to This Feeling Records, Fitzroy Holt’s current single ‘Medicine’ has seen the rising newcomer earn comparisons to the likes of Michael Kiwanuka and Scott Walker. His rootsy cocktail of confessional soul and bluesy garage-rock has taken him to festivals including the Isle of Wight, Truck and The Great Escape this summer, while also landing airplay from BBC Music Introducing. Now Fitzroy adds to his growing acclaim by sharing the video for ‘Medicine’.
The video places Fitzroy in his home-from-home setting of Norton’s Bar in Digbeth, where he claims you can get the best Guinness in Brum. Shot in a shadowy, introspective monochrome, it shows him alone in the venue – simultaneously performer, punter and barman. Its loneliness is an apt metaphor for the song, which sees Fitzroy bravely revisiting his experiences suffering with substance abuse. Yet as the song steps into a brighter future, his desolation is cut with fiery live footage of Fitzroy and his band performing at the Isle of Wight Festival.
The video was directed and edited by two of Fitzroy’s most trusted collaborators: George Morris, the percussionist from his live band and his regular studio engineer, and Patsy Wesson, the muse who inspired the song’s redemptive spirit.
Fitzroy says, “Trying to match and create visuals which married the emotions and themes of the song without being overt and cheesy was no easy feat. I think we shot at least five times more footage than we actually used in the video. We then decided to splice footage from our Isle of Wight performance into it. If you were there you’ll know it was full of passion and energy that added the raw edge the video needed. The video turned out like the song, I guess, a dark ode to love, but a real labour of love also.”
The ‘Medicine’ video comes as Fitzroy prepares to play a London headline show at St. Pancras Old Church on October 28th.
Fitzroy Holt performed in various rock bands around the Wolverhampton area, but the idea of working as a solo artist first gained traction during the initial lockdown. Living in a semi-derelict factory in the city, the relative isolation of the time resulted in a far more introspective approach in his writing. He debuted with the self-financed release ‘Kelly’ in 2021, which was inspired by the struggles he saw women face while working with the local homeless charity Haven.
This Feeling came onboard as his personal champions, leading to a deal with their label earlier this year. His music also took on a richer production with the warmth of his live performance with the backing of his band and by working with producer Gavin Monaghan (Paolo Nutini, Robert Plant, Editors). He’s inspired by artists whose lyrical edge finds the grace between personal experience and pure poetry, including Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Damon Albarn and Yves Tumor. Yet an ethos of recognising and understanding other people’s struggles is also a core aspect of his songwriting style. Expect from Fitzroy Holt soon…
