Today Bastille drop the music video for their song “
Hope For The Future.” “Hope For The Future” was written as the title track for the upcoming documentary
From Devil’s Breath—directed by Oscar-winning
Orlando Van Einsiedel and executive produced by
Leonardo DiCaprio. The video was shot by Orlando in
Dan Smith’s London home and interlaced with emotive and thought-provoking shots from the documentary to create a perfect visual accompaniment for the track.
WATCH THE MUSIC VIDEO HEREOn the video, Dan Smith says, “I was given the chance to watch From Devil’s Breath a while back, and was really moved by the incredibly powerful story that Orlando Von Einsiedel and the team have woven together. It’s a heart-breaking story that’s beautifully told, so when they asked me to write a song for the end credits, it seemed important to make something that felt intimate, but also struck a balance between the more poignant elements of these people’s stories and the hope that the film ultimately gestures towards. I also wanted it to feel and sound different, so this was the first song I ever wrote on a guitar. Sometimes songs seem to just fall out of your head, and this was very much one of those. I watched the film and then made the demo at home in a couple of hours. Over a few days I worked to build up the production and sonics with the hugely talented Charlie Barnes and Jack Duxbury, and it quickly became one of my favorite things we’ve made. It was also a helpful reset from the sonic and thematic world of our album Give Me The Future, and has laid the ground sonically for a lot of the music I’ve been making since.”
He continues, “When we discussed making a video for ‘Hope For The Future,’ we all felt that it should be something simple that wouldn’t get in the way of the film and its story. I didn’t think we’d be lucky enough to make it with Orlando, Chloe Leland, and the team who made the film itself, which has been such a privilege. Orlando’s idea was to make the performance feel like it sat right within the world of the film, helping to re-tell the story in this shorter form. So, we shot the video in my house, sat around the kitchen in the room where I write, projecting footage onto the walls, and intercut this with moments from the film. It was so brilliant to be able to work with them all, and we’re really proud of the video we’ve been able to make with them.”
Orlando Van Einsiedel chimes in, saying, “Music is such an integral part of film-making. It helps shape our emotional responses, offers us space to reflect, and helps give our memories of a film longevity. Dan’s hauntingly beautiful song ‘Hope for the Future’ conveys the trauma of loss that scars communities forever, and the difficult journey of remembrance and rebuilding that the people in our film navigate every day. With the music video, we wanted to create something that spoke authentically to the origin story of the song, something which was expressive of how and why it was written. The song was very much Dan’s way of communicating what he witnessed and felt in watching From Devil’s Breath, so in the video, we decided to incorporate Dan himself into a similar documentary interview construct to that used within the actual film. In the video, we see Dan sharing his truth with the audience in the same way as the film’s protagonists, along with having elements from the documentary, in the form of video projections, bleeding over into his personal space and physically onto him.”
Producer Chloe Leland adds, “Working with Dan and his team on this project has been a dream. We couldn’t be more honoured to have the song as part of our film, From Devil’s Breath. This film explores the devastating effects of the 2017 climate crisis-fueled forest fires in Pedrógão Grande, Portugal and a revolutionary scientific discovery transforming forest restoration efforts—a discovery which will help to both prevent future fires like this and protect us all from the climate crisis. We sent the film to Dan hoping it might inspire him to write something for us—he responded within 24 hours with ‘Hope For The Future.’ Without wanting to sound cheesy, our team felt it was perfect from first listen, somehow beautifully capturing both the pain and hope of From Devil’s Breath’s story. Dan told us the song had spilled out of him, and he just followed the wave of emotion, and you can feel that acutely in the song. We are so grateful for what he’s produced for us—even though he hates being thanked or told how talented he is!”
From Devil’s Breath tells the unlikely story of two remarkable narratives that come crashing together; the extraordinary, inspiring community of survivors of the deadly 2017 wildfires in Portugal, fighting to ensure what they’ve lived through can never happen again; and a revolutionary, world-changing scientific discovery which could help protect us all from the climate emergency. From Devil’s Breath will be premiering with MSNBC on November 13th at 10PM EST. WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
2023 marks the 10th Anniversary of Bastille’s chart-conquering, twice #1 debut album Bad Blood. In celebration of its release, the band announces 2023 “Bad Blood X” Tour—a series of very special one-off shows next summer, giving fans the opportunity to hear the album played live in its entirety alongside other fan favorites.
Hailed as a trailblazing album, Bad Blood featured the international hit “Pompei” and became the biggest-selling digital album of 2013. Bastille became that year’s biggest-selling global breakthrough act, with over one billion Spotify streams, earning them the “British Breakthrough Act” award at the 2014 BRITS along with two Grammy nominations. Since then, “Bad Blood” has gone on to achieve Triple Platinum status with over one million copies sold in the UK alone.
In 2022, Bastille released their fourth album, the #1, critically acclaimed record Give Me The Future. Called “their best album” by both Rolling Stone and Clash and “the most expansive, yet cohesive record Bastille have put their name to” by NME, Give Me The Future explores a futuristic wonderland free from restrictions. Brimming with literary, cinematic, and cultural references to films like Thelma & Louise, the artist Keith Haring, and musicians like Phil Collins and The Police, the album is filled with danceable dreamscapes, providing an escapist universe where you can travel back and forward in time to be anyone, do anything, and embrace a new wave of technology, which enables us to get lost inside our imagination.
Earlier this year, the band completed an extensive sold-out UK arena tour, followed by sold-out shows in both the US and South America. Next up, they take the “Give Me The Future” Tour to Europe, playing thirteen shows across 10 countries.
BASTILLE: INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | TIKTOK | WEBSITE
