Connor Phillips’ “Shelter” Is The Anthem of Self-Isolation
The Vancouver Island native brings us a more than suitable theme song to our current lives concerning quarantine. If you’re a lover of animals, I suggest you keep reading until the end.
For the non-essential workers out there, social distancing is something much too relevant. With the majority of companies temporarily laying off employees due to the CO-VID 19 pandemic, the safest action to take right now is to quarantine yourselves. If you still aren’t sure how to approach this doom and gloom, don’t worry. I have a song made just for you!
While the lyrics might not coincide with our current situation, the remaining elements of Connor Phillips newest single “Shelter” are reflective of these troubled times.
The instrumentation used throughout the track is nothing more than fitting for peoples lives right now. The eerie lead and background synths. A droning bass line. A compressed drum kit with a break-beat rhythm. The feel of this song is very broody. A complimenting atmosphere for Connor’s vocals. If you couldn’t already tell that the singer was feeling a little darker than usual, the music underneath his voice should help guide you to that conclusion. In the chorus, Connor sends out a metaphorical life raft to those in need. He sings “When everything dies, I’ll give you shelter in my four-door Suicide.” (See the definition for “Suicide Door” below).
Just before the hook, Phillips’ hints at who he plans on providing shelter to, with lines such as “I would rather stay ten toes in the dirt with my brothers”, followed by “Move in with my dawgs.”
Now it’s time for the last piece of the puzzle — the music video.
Directed by Victoria cinematographer Zia Kaylan, the man behind the magic allows Connor to place his audience into his shoes. Self-isolating in his very own backyard on Vancouver Island, he tries to keep himself occupied. Accompanied by his majestic dog, red bandana and all, the two of them build a shelter comprised of multiple branches, topped of with what looks like an elk skull and a hatchet for good measure.
Another important thing to note is the message at the end of the video. The text informs people about how lack of space could lead to the euthanization of most animals, and that adopting animals can combat this issue.
I implore you all to harken back to the chorus for a moment. “When everything dies, I’ll give you shelter in my four-door Suicide.” After watching the music video, canine companion included, is it safe to say that Connor might be tightening the scope of who he’s talking about from all of his “dawgs” to his actual dog? Food for thought, my friends!
Recommended Listening Environments: Late night drives, home alone, study sessions, exercising