Indie-rock duo Oxen have created the music video for their latest single, ‘Dark and Depressive’.
Oxen reveal the trials they went through to create the music video, “It was somewhat hard finding a film crew, or the money to pay them, when there was a raging pandemic going on. But there’s this kind of old school gym in the same building I live in and although neither of us got a lot of experience lifting heavy stuff, there was a certain vibe and smell that went well together with our visual goal for this video.”
Oxen draw inspiration from music Erik and Stefan listened to while growing up as well as shared experiences. Their influences include the likes of Pixies and New Order. As a result, the duo’s own sound draws close parallels to Smashing Pumpkins, Fat White Family and The Cure.
Childhood friends who were destined to go on to create Oxen, Erik and Stefan grew up in Dalarna, Sweden. Within this small town, they would meet their first loves, share their first beer and start playing instruments. While they are currently living separately but both based in Stockholm, the two originally started out sharing a small one-bedroom flat, together with Erik’s girlfriend, in which they would go on to write Oxen’s first singles, ‘Only Forever’ and ‘Luck’.
Maintaining the integrity of the grungy styles of original indie rock and roll, ‘Dark and Depressive’ takes place in an old-school gym, providing flashbacks to the 90’s in both audio and visual ways. Striking a stoic manner throughout, a morbid contrast is struck between the light beat of the single and the harsh, natural lighting. In turn, the video hits a personal aspect, allowing a relationship to form between musicians and fans, in result from seeing them in a relatable environment.