Analysis of Honey // Swim deep

Honey is a song performed by an indie pop band Swim Deep. The music video is mostly performance based as each camera shot shows the band either singing, playing instruments or creatively painting. There are close up shots of the camera on each band member to establish each of the members role and close ups of the band together, to show how close the band are. The camera pans smoothly, as well as cutting between shots at a fast paced but yet still in time and into the beat of the music.

The lyrics are based on the idea of one's own initiative and achieving dreams, the song is over all motivating and the lyrics and video is extremely creative. The video emphasises how alternative the band are by revealing the creative side, for example the use of the painted background which shows sea creatures, this has a element of disjuncture as it has no relation to the song nor its lyrics. However, it shows how creative the band can be and how different as it is not typically used in music videos. Throughout the video it shows the band messing around and having fun, which interests the audience and gives off a positive vibe towards the band but also a positive feel for the audience.

The video conforms to the conventions of an indie genre media product, as the band are dressed in a sense which makes people associate with hippies, each band member is wearing a band t-shirt or baggy t-shirts and also wearing skinny jeans. Each member has an alternative hair style, such as long or messy hair which emphasises how alternative the band and their look is. The attractive female who is used in a sexual sense, for example using her finger to eat honey and messing around with the band, also conforms to the conventions of an indie music video as attractive, sexual females are often used in these types of videos. This video also uses the theory of Laura Mulvey's Male Gaze, as the attractive female is used to attract the audience, specifically males. None of the members are wearing shoes, which connotes they are free, which is the message the song is trying to convey. This contrasts with pop music videos, in which they try to emphasise power and money through their fashion, location and props (mise en scene.) However, the band show how you can be happy without money and achieve your dreams.

The video relates to the lyrics as they are showing they are creative and free by painting and making a mess and also by kicking over the instruments used, which emphasises the message from the song that they can do what they want to do. There is a contrast in the beginning as the girl used is in a clean tidy house, using a bored facial expression and suggesting her life is plain, but in the end however she joins the paint to paint and be creative, letting her finally dream and be free. There is a continuous theme where the lyrics use 'tick' someone in the video makes a clicking gesture with their fingers, which makes the lyrics and video/ visuals successfully synchronised.

The lighting in the video used makes the girl seem almost angelic as it is seen to be almost a halo around her which connotes a sense of innocence, the lighting relates to the song as the tone of colour looks like honey. The rest of the lighting used however is standard and basic back lighting in a studio which does not connote anything.