Shall I Be Mother
Designing a single launch campaign for local band.
Overview.
Shall I Be Mother is a Birmingham / Leicester-based band, formed in early 2023 by Danny (Lead Vocals/Bass), Jacob (Guitar), Charlie (Guitar) and later joined by Tom (Drums). The band have released two EPS (Daydream and Satellite) entirely independently, and recently completed their biggest show to date, headlining O2 Academy 3 Birmingham.
Landmines was the first track from the band in 2025, one which had been road-tested previously at a string of shows last year. The single is about uncertainty, that feeling when life seems ‘okay’, but with every step you take, anything could just…blow up.
Brief.
After working with the band on their biggest headline show to date as their photographer, Shall I Be Mother approached me with early-stage ideation for a music video to promote their aforementioned single - Landmines. The band wanted to bring their new track to life with a bang. Following a number of conversations, what started as a music video collaboration quickly became an integrated single launch, including a mini social media campaign, crafting an EPK (electronic press kit), band portraits and photo duty at their release party.
Response.
The music video was planned and filmed over two weekends in early January 2025, spanning a total of two days. We didn’t want to spend too long pondering ideas, and instead opted for a DIY approach, which felt rather fitting for the track. Our main aim with the video was to capture it as a full-length piece to be consumed on YouTube, but also slice up the content into short-form videos for Instagram promotion.
Landmines is a metaphor for a protagonist who is oblivious or blindsided by an undesired outcome in a relationship or life event. To portray this narrative, the video revolves around a janitor in a school environment, who we follow completing everyday chores. When the chorus arrives, this character seemingly implodes. Alongside the storyline, the video shows the full band, including the janitor, playing the track. The video alternates between gentle and chaotic scenes featuring the janitor and concludes with the character escaping his own nightmare.
Following the completion of the video, I worked with Danny (lead vocalist) to organise a headline show to coincide with the single. Next, I crafted a content calendar for social media to slowly tease, advertise and promote the single. As someone who has been working with numerous online publications over the last year, I also took this opportunity to combine our imagery, poster(s) and details into an EPK, which was then sent to these outlets for coverage. The key was maximum exposure across all angles.
Results.
The music video was a success, becoming their most popular video on YouTube to date.
On Social Media, the content warmed up an audience ready to dive into the single on release.
We secured several local press and radio placements.
At the Launch Party in Birmingham, we sold out physical tickets.
Our EPK provided a foundation for future press relations.
Everyone, including myself, had a f**king great time.