Sigrid 'Focus' by Moth Studio

For one of the first songs that Sigrid recorded - now released in its original demo form - East London-based animation studio Moth have created a video to reflect the deep instrospection at the heart of Focus.

Moth's work combines gorgeous near-abstract visuals with a subtle narrative to show how a human body deals internally with the range of emotions felt at the end of a relationship. This is represented as a journey in which memories - in the form of colourful shapes - absorbed into the body, causing disruption, and then finally embraced. It's a highly original way to articulate the familiar experience of heartbreak.

MOTH:

"Island Records and Sigrid approached us with the idea of creating something fresh and appealing that would create an interesting dynamic between the visual and the song, adding another layer to it. To contrast the sensitive and sweet nature of the song, we came up with the concept of this bold, frantic yet tender landscape, that would allow us to explore the universally familiar experience of heartbreak through a series of bodily reactions.

"Using the tasteful palette from Sigrid’s own branding, we separated the body into organs and memories, keeping the organs quite muted and the latter colourful and vibrant. We set the geography of the body by starting with the brain and slowly travelling down the rest of the organs, cutting to the external body from time to time, so that we can observe the parallels between the two worlds.

"Memories act differently depending on which organ they inhabit, ranging from more fluid to more angular shapes and behaviours, yet all undergo the same procedure of expulsion, reassembly and, finally, resettlement onto the organs. Their return renders them stronger and more solid, turning heartbreak into an experience of growth, rather than one of defeat.

"The video employs a variety of techniques, from traditional hand-drawn 2D animation to 3D and After Effects animation. Coming up with solutions on how to bring all these elements together to form a coherent world was a really fun challenge!"