Hollow Coves’ video for “Ran Away”–premiering today on American Songwriter–follows a father and daughter as they cross the U.S. border, from Mexico, in pursuit of a better life.
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“A few months ago we were sent a proposal from a director named Jhosamir Vasquez with the request to use our song ‘Ran Away’ to accompany a video he was passionate about making,” the Australian indie folk duo tells American Songwriter. “The story of the video follows a father and daughter as they journey on foot across Mexico in order to seek safe asylum in the United States.”
Vasquez–who was born in Peru but lived in Mexico before settling in Los Angeles–says he was inspired to make the video after coming across a tragic news story about a father and daughter who attempted a similar journey unsuccessfully.
“The inspiration for the video ‘Ran Away’ came from a real story that I saw on the news about a father and a daughter that had drowned in the Rio Grande River, which is on the border of USA and Mexico,” says Vasquez. “They were trying to cross the border swimming but were found dead on the other side. They reached their dream, unfortunately not alive.”
Fortunately, the characters in “Ran Away” don’t share this fate. Instead, the video has a positive ending in which the father and daughter reach their destination safely. It’s a hopeful migrant tale that still attests to the incredible difficulties and risks of leaving one’s home to pursue a better future.
“I decided to write a script about a father and daughter and their journey of reaching their dream but make the ending more positive,” explains Vasquez. “A lot of people leave their homes, their loved ones for a better future. Sometimes they leave it forever and still never make it. I guess you can say that these dreams come at a high price because even with the happy endings the journeys of these people come with a lot of sacrifices.”
“Ran Away” is a mournful yet uplifting guitar and piano-driven folk number off Hollow Coves’ recent debut album, Moments, released in October. Lyrically, the song pairs a sense of loss with the recognition that one has to keep moving forward in life: “There was a time when I saw you / There’s someone that I could hold onto,” begins the first verse, which ends on a note that resonates with the video’s narrative: “Pulling you away from home / Leaving all you’ve ever known.” The chorus is delivered with soulful, fluttering vocals: “You then prayed / And you lost your way / You then prayed / And it’s not the same.”
Hollow Coves is the indie folk project of singer-songwriters Matt Carins and Ryan Henderson. The duo gained a following after releasing their debut EP, Wanderlast, in 2017, having recorded early tracks in a friend’s garage. Henderson said in a recent Paste live studio session that he and Carins had studied to be a civil engineer and carpenter, respectively, but they ditched those plans after the success of their EP. The band is currently on a North American tour in support of Moments.
Henderson and Carins hope their “Ran Away” video will raise awareness about the challenges migrants face upon leaving home.
“We were moved by the story,” says the duo. “Unfortunately, this story is real for a lot of people. We felt compelled to help shine a light on this issue. We hope this video will help to raise awareness about the very real struggle that many people face while simply trying to find a safe home for their families.”
Moments is out now. See Hollow Coves’ upcoming tour dates below.
Mon, Feb 24 – West Hollywood, CA @ Troubadour
Tue, Feb 25 – San Francisco, CA @ Noise Pop Fest
Thur, Feb 27 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
Fri, Feb 28 – Seattle, WA @ Columbia City Theater (sold-out)
Sat, Feb 29 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret (sold-out)
