Genevieve Stokes Takes Listeners Deeper Into the World of ‘With a Lightning Strike’ with the Dreamlike Video for “River” (Exclusive)

Alt-pop singer/songwriter Genevieve Stokes released her debut album With a Lightning Strike early last month via Atlantic Records. Since then, the 13-track collection has received hundreds of thousands of streams from fans across the world. Today, Stokes is taking fans deeper into her world of expertly-penned songs with the release of the official video for “River.”

The official video for “River” features striking visuals captured in black and white. It places Stokes in the shoes of a lighthouse keeper on the edge of a roaring sea. The atmosphere created by the visuals fits perfectly with the dreamy vibe of the song. Stokes exclusively told American Songwriter about the clip. “My creative director and best friend, Abbie Pitre, came up with the music video concept and directed while our friend Robin Glass was the cinematographer,” she shared. “We worked with a few gaffers and a producer, but the video was mainly created by Robin, Abbie and me. It’s heavily inspired by the movie The Lighthouse as well as the tower card in tarot,” Stokes added. Check out the finished product below.

“I wrote ‘River’ last year when I was living in New Orleans and feeling disconnected from home and myself,” Stokes says of the song. “I wanted to make something that felt comforting and recentering, making light of the emptiness I was experiencing. It started off as a chanty campfire song but became a lot swaggier when my co-producers and I added a beat,” she explained.

Genevieve Stokes on With a Lightning Strike

With a Lightning Strike sees Genevieve Stokes searching for the childhood whimsy. However, unlike her previous releases, her debut full-length takes a darker tone. She worked with producer and longtime collaborator Peter Berg on the album in Los Angeles. When she wasn’t in the studio in California, the Portland, Maine native traveled to the East Coast to work on the album with her musical friends including drummer Fiona Stocks-Lyons and music director Pete Cafarella.  

“After over a year of writing songs in my parents’ garage and recording out of Airbnbs with my dear friends, this album is finally yours,” Stokes shared upon the album’s release. “With a Lightning Strike represents so many experiences and phases of my life, and it’s almost painfully personal at times. For the first time in my career, my sound and vision is entirely clear and true to me.”

Featured Image via Atlantic Records