Philly’s Carly Cosgrove released one of this year’s best emo albums so far with The Cleanest of Houses Are Empty, and now they’ve made a video for one of its standout tracks, “Fluff My Pllow.” Singer/guitarist Lucas Naylor previously called the song “a love letter to my favorite vice amidst my depression: sleep” and said, “I thought it would be fun to detail the love of rest through a perverse power pop ballad, seeming triumphant and joyful on the surface while hiding the much more sinister results underneath.” The video follows suit, as writer/director Santo Donia explains:
Directing “Fluff My Pillow” was a full-circle moment for me. Our goal for this video was to create something lighthearted, but didn’t completely undermine the melancholic theme of the song. Surprisingly, we pulled everything together in less than two weeks of planning. We have a really unique workflow that’s as much about friendship as it is about artistry. It feels so special to have a group trust your vision enough to invite a room full of strangers to cosplay a sleepover.
Pillow perfectly captures how you can be your own worst enemy. What can be interpreted as a pretty depressing outlook lyrically, the upbeat nature of the instrumentals provided a stark visual backdrop in my head. Lucas is such a great songwriter, that you feel him sort of round this emotional corner and into a false sense of security. Biggest takeaway from our initial pitch call was leaning into that realization of “Wait… why CAN’T we just sleep everything off?”. We wanted to focus on the relationship of the characters in a void to represent a somewhat delusional narrative, rather than some crazy set dressing. Being at a slumber party with your friends is a lot easier than dealing with reality, so naturally the concept fell into place.
We had a video similar in nature at the end of 2022 that never ended up panning out. I think in that point in time, we were all still in the throes of figuring ourselves out as people (a lot of what the current record was written about). I’ve been working with Carly Cosgrove since the band formed, so our journey and growth has been shared. After finishing a grueling one-day shoot with “What Are You, A Cop?”, we knew we were getting back into the swing of things. With more time and experience under all of our belts, this video truly felt like a redemption arc. Thanks to my assistant directors, AnnaMarie Otor and Melissa Resurreccion, this project went off without a hitch. Creativity, our growth has finally reached a point that I feel so proud of. Beyond grateful to share this moment with all of the Cosgregation. I got to wear Pajamas to work, there’s a lot to be grateful for!
Check out the video below. The Cleanest of Houses Are Empty is out now via Wax Bodega.
Carly Cosgrove are also gearing up to hit the road in support of Real Friends in a few days, alongside Can’t Swim and Slow Joy. That tour hits NYC on November 24 at Irving Plaza. All dates are listed on the tour poster below.
