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MisterWives Seek to Escape Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms on New Single

MisterWives Seek to Escape Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms on New Single "Ultraviolet"

Arriving with an intimate video, the track will appear on the group's forthcoming LP Nosebleeds.

Words: Kim March

Photo: Matty Vogel

June 09, 2023

Photo by Michael Muller. Image design by Gene Bresler at Catch Light Digital. Cobver design by Jerome Curchod.Phoebe Bridgers makeup: Jenna Nelson (using Smashbox Cosmetics)Phoebe Bridgers hair: Lauren Palmer-SmithMUNA hair/makeup: Caitlin Wronski

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The concept for bicoastal alt-pop outfit MisterWives's fourth LP is all there in its single-word title: Nosebleeds aims to chart the highs and lows of the human experience, from the high-altitude peaks of existence to the feeling of being beaten and bruised on the ground. In exploring the nuances of these extremes, though, the outfit fronted by Mandy Lee considers how the two affect each other, with one of the most interesting results surfacing in the latest single from the release which arrives today, "Ultraviolet."

Relatively placid within the context of the rest of the album, the layered, orchestral swells of the new song soundtrack Lee's epiphanies upon first discovering the work of photographer Debora Lombardi, who shot a series of photos of flowers being subjected to ultraviolet light. "These flowers became technicolor, revealing fluorescent hues and glittering patterns that were only visible under UV when in complete darkness, which made me think about how much light and beauty is uncovered in ourselves when we’ve been through the dark," she explains. "Much like the flowers, we all carry so much within ourselves that isn't presented on the surface."

Matching the track's gentle soundscape and compassionate lyrics is a visual directed by Matty Vogel, which sees Lee healing from the highly symbolic wounds depicted on the album's cover. "We wanted the video to feel really personal and intimate, so Mandy and I grabbed my camera and ran out into the Santa Monica Mountains and shot it all just by ourselves," Vogel notes. "This song in relation to the album is a moment of peace and reflection and recognition of the pain we all carry, and we wanted to make sure the video felt the same way, without the trappings of trying to create something overly polished."

Watch the clip below, and pre-order Nosebleeds before it arrives July 14 here.