Earlier this year, I read an article on family estrangement in The Atlantic. I’ve thought about it quite a bit since then. The basic argument of the piece was that, due to a profound shift in American family values, parents and their adult children have become increasingly separated over the past half century. While the nuclear family remains our most fundamental social unit, the extended family—grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other relatives—has gradually diminished in importance. For aging parents, this turn in cultural norms has led to overwhelming feelings of grief and uncertainty.
And look, there is a host of valid reasons why this new dynamic is, in many cases, a good thing. Abuse, emotional/psychological wellness, and unending discord are just a few that come top of mind. But as someone who was born into a large, close-knit family only to see those bonds fray and dissolve over time, I can’t help but feel a deep sense of loss. Family is more than blood and a name; under the best circumstances, it can mold the most critical parts of your identity.
Which is part of what makes Easter Island’s latest video is such a beautiful and affecting work. Directed and edited by brothers/band members Asher and Ethan Payne, “Glass” was created as a tribute to their grandparents, affectionately known as Oma and Opa. Combining new footage with clips from old VHS and 8 mm reels, the video paints an endearing portrait of a couple who have lived, evolved, and grown old together over several decades. The goal was to not only memorialize the couple’s unyielding love but also to place their relationship in a universal context. “It’s an important document of grandparents as human people interacting,” Ethan explains. “A couple on vacation. Young parents. Middle-aged parents, and finally grandparents. The desire was to create a documentation, a celebration of Oma and Opa.”
“Time is a cause for celebration,” adds Asher. “We wanted to honor our family. We wanted to create a video that reminds us of the beauty of life. We should stop assuming we are meant to be the center of our elders’ universes. They are humans with memories in most instances richer than the ones we’ve compiled. We should celebrate them. Celebrate our shared mortality. Celebrate our family.”
Taken from their sophomore LP, Take All the Time You Think You Need, “Glass” finds the Athens dream-pop quintet at their most sublime and picturesque. Using a latticework of jangly guitars and steady drums, the song slowly unfurls in an immersive torrent of ambient sound. It’s a soundtrack both resonant and well-measured, with Ethan Payne’s vocals gliding gently over the track’s rich production.
Watch/listen above.
More Info
Web: easterisland.band
Bandcamp: easterisland.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @easterislandband
Instagram:@easterisland