Mitski Gets Up Close and Personal in ‘A Burning Hill’ Video
A careful pose does not a good portrait make. Capturing someone's true essence requires candidness on the part of both artist and subject; after all, under the scrutiny of a painter or a Panasonic, most people can't help but withdraw — it's practically a reflex. Liberate them from that gaze, though, and you've got your in.
Consider Mitski's new video for "A Burning Hill," then, a candid portrait in motion. Directed by Bradley Gray, the clip for her Puberty 2 track offers an intimate look at Mitski Miyawaki's travels through the American countryside. Completely at ease, she rides through the backroads, basks in the glow of a sunny house, and swims in a lake (an unintentional nod to PJ Harvey's "Down by the Water" video, perhaps?), almost entirely oblivious to Gray's lens, as Miyawaki explained in a press release:
The director and I spent a weekend just driving around New York and Pennsylvania while the camera kept running, and most of the time I'd forget I was being filmed. It felt like a vacation, but it was also quite emotional, as I was thinking about the song and what it means to me now while jumping in rivers and driving down dirt lanes.
Relive Mitski's heartfelt vacation documentary below, and scroll down to view her upcoming tour dates.
Mitski released Puberty 2 in June via Dead Oceans.
MITSKI on TOUR
Oct. 31 — Providence, RI @ Columbus Theatre
Nov. 1 — Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
Nov. 3 — Toronto, Ontario @ Mod Club
Nov. 4 — Detroit, MI @ Magic Bag
Nov. 5 — Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
Nov. 6 — St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway
Nov. 10 — Athens, GA @ 40 Watt
Nov. 11 — Orlando, FL @ Back Booth
Nov. 12 — Miami, FL @ Gramps
Nov. 13 — Jacksonville, FL @ Jack Rabbits
Nov. 15 — Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle
Nov. 16 — Durham, NC @ Motorco
Nov. 17 — Charlottesville, VA @ Southern Café
Nov. 18 — Washington, DC @ Black Cat
Nov. 19 — Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
Nov. 21 — New York, NY @ Webster Hall
Nov. 22 — Brooklyn, NY @ Market Hotel
Feb. 21 — Paris, France @ Les Etoiles
Feb. 22 — Zurich, Switzerland @ Mascotte
Feb. 24 — Bologna, Italy @ Covo Club
Feb. 25 — Munich, Germany @ Milla
Feb. 26 — Vienna, Austria @ B72
Feb. 27 — Prague, Czech Republic @ MeetFactory
Feb. 28 — Berlin, Germany @ Postbahnhof
Mar. 2 — Utrecht, Netherlands @ Ekko
Mar. 3 — Brussels, Belgium @ Rotonde, Botanique
Mar. 4 — Brighton, England @ The Haunt
Mar. 6 — London, England @ Village Underground
Mar. 7 — Bristol, England @ Thekla
Mar. 9 — Manchester, England @ The Ruby Lounge
Mar. 10 — Edinburgh, Scotland @ Electric Circus
Mar. 11 — Newcastle, England @ The Cluny