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Aug 26, 2014 By Mike Hilleary jj

Newly releasing their third full-length album V, Swedish duo JJ have debuted a music video for the included single “Inner Light.” Depicting a young girl dancing in the woods dressed in Native American garb, director Ty Olsen published a lengthy poem-like explanation behind the making of the video and what it all means. Scroll down below to watch the video and read the statement.

INNER LIGHT from Ty Olson on Vimeo.

THE ETERNITY
IN HER EYES
WE MADE IT 4 U
a pow wow two summers ago
she sat quietly in the grass, her mother braiding her hair.
who are you?
she danced,
and I knew.
I never thought about her that winter
or that spring
but when the summer came
I thought about her again.
dove off the dock
when the feeling came.
I saw her there. dancing.
I saw it all in a dream.
we tracked her down. we made a movie.
that day in the the forest?
it was like watching an angel
making her way through this motherfucking life.
like an old soul.
like a pure vessel.
bringing us messages
from eternity.
on the very last take
of our very last shot,
dancing in the fire at night,
her eagle feather fell to the ground.
everything stopped. quiet.
she offered tobacco
to right her wrong
but the feeling lingered.
I took it as a sign.
I thought myself genuine—
but my motivation was exploitative.
I questioned why we were making this.
it had to be a tribute and an ode. not a commercial. not a single. not a cry for help.
I let the film sit for months.
to think about what had to be done.
went to Stockholm,
had some fun.
I met JJ in the club. Postiljonen delivered me on their wings.
The Embassy showed me my dreaming had no meaning.
but it’s plain to see now
how I needed you.
Joakim got me in the light.
I told him the story of Lexi. her name. my girl. the pow wow, the fallen feather.
we knew we had to make something.
we knew we had to make it right.
I took a walk around midnight to listen to Inner Light.
my world opened up
and when I got to Skanstullbron, snow started falling.
I couldn’t stand it any longer.
I leaned over the bridge.
tears streaming down my face.
and cried and cried and cried and it wouldn’t stop.
and couldn’t stop.
I knew this was the sound of the images.
Inner Light was Lexi
Lexi was Inner Light
and maybe we always knew. in eternity.
then… tragedy!
a few months later,
just a week after seeing the final cut,
her mother died.
a heart attack. a broken heart for the rest of us.
she was her best friend. her confidant and care giver.
she was there on the shoot. making Lexi an Angel.
she’s in that video.
her spirit is there.
this is art about Indians. about all of us.
it’s about why we dance.
for ourselves? for our family? for our tribe?
it’s about drugs, sex, blood, moonshine, Ojibwe and JJ.
it’s about the Inner Light in all of us.
and we made it for you.
we had to.

(www.facebook.com/jjswedenofficial)