In this interview spotlight, I catch up with Hazel Gaze to discuss their new song, Black Soul River, and the accompanying music video.
Full Q&A with links and the music video below.
What inspired the concept behind the song and its powerful lyrics?
[RS] Religion is like many things – it’s not inherently good or bad in and of itself, but how it’s used or personalized. People get so many positive things from religion: faith, a sense of community, charity, philanthropy, etc. Conversely, religion has been used as a tool for propaganda, politics, oppression, isolation, segregation and for personal gain throughout history. It’s blind faith and loss of factual objectivity or loss of morality in the name of religion that I struggle to rationalize, which served as inspiration for Black Soul River.
The music video features striking imagery of water — from baptisms to people laying book pages in the river. What was the creative vision behind these visuals?
[RS] Water has always held profound symbolism in faith, representing life, purification, fertility, transformation and divine presence. Whether it’s baptism, ablution, ritual baths, the Jordan River, the River Styx, etc., water has played a sacred role in faith. I wanted the visuals to evoke this powerful imagery while supporting the song’s lyrical themes of exploring the dark side of religion and hypocrisy.
The song explores themes of blind faith and religious hypocrisy. Was there a particular experience or story that influenced this narrative?
[RS] There was no specific single event that inspired the lyrics. It’s more generally about blind faith in religion or in tradition, particularly when they’re used in a negative context or for personal gain, and how that can enable manipulation.
In the video, there’s a sense of tension between tradition and modern expression. What message are you hoping viewers take away from that contrast?
[RS] Your choice of words is interesting – the band was just discussing “tradition” recently, and how it could be supportive or harmful, depending on the circumstance. I realize this song and video may not be for everybody, however if people could take one thing from the video, I’d like it to be that they should always think rationally for themselves and not practice blind faith, particularly blind faith for someone claiming to tell you what some deity thinks.
What role does storytelling play in your songwriting process?
[RS] I like to incorporate stories into lyrics as much as possible. I find it’s more enjoyable and interesting to write and also helps distinguish the material while giving it more weight. I remember listening to so many albums that took me on a journey in my youth. Albums like “The Wall” from Pink Floyd, where your imagination would run wild with imagery while listening to the lyrics. That seems to have become a bit of a lost art.
Did you face any unexpected challenges during the production of the video — either logistically or creatively?
[RS] Actually, things went quite smoothly. I’m incredibly fortunate to have met a wonderful videographer, Patty Sway, who has a remarkable talent to bring a song’s vision to life. We’ve made several videos with Patty and I couldn’t imagine doing one without her.
Are there specific artists or genres that shaped the track’s sound?
[RS] I’ve always been a huge fan of Southern Rock and Delta Blues. I wanted those elements to come through, but with a heavy edge, with both the music and the accompanying video to have a certain southern, swampy rock vibe. To achieve that aesthetic musically, writing the guitar parts in an alternate, open tuning was key, along with lots of slide guitar, and using a dobro with a cajon for the intro to get that vibe.
Looking ahead, what can fans expect next from Hazel Gaze? Is this song a glimpse of a larger project or new direction for the band?
[RS] We’ve been doing NYC-area shows the last few months and it’s been an absolute blast. We’ve sold out some iconic venues and the energy in the room was electric. We’re continuing shows through the year, including a very special ‘unplugged’ acoustic show at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music on July 26th, where we’ll be accompanied by an orchestral string section. That show will also be recorded for a live acoustic album – we’re very excited about it! We’re also beginning to write material for our next studio album while we continue to perform live. Much more to come – we’re very excited and having a blast!
