AS IT IS PREMIERES NEW MUSIC VIDEO FOR HEY RACHEL
NEW ALBUM – OKAY. – OUT NOW
Toronto, ON – February 6, 2017 – Brighton, UK’s, As It Is, has premiered a powerful new music video for their song Hey Rachel, taken from their latest full-length album, okay., which is now available on iTunes. Written and directed by Joshua Halling, the video reimagines the childhood story of vocalist Patty Walters and his sister Rachel, weaving in a very personal battle with depression while leaving the audience with an empowering and inspirational conclusion.
The video features home-recorded footage of the two as children, with the plot circling around Walters inability to understand his sister’s depression and anxiety. He explains, “Hey Rachel was an especially cathartic song to write, reopening old wounds after nearly ten years. Writing the song demanded being painfully honest with both myself and my sister, neither of which I was particularly comfortable doing. I had to relive past feelings of fear, sorrow, anger, pain, and, most of all, regret. The song is an apology I’m relieved and proud to have finally said. It’s such a beautiful and powerful music video, and I’m ecstatic to finally be sharing it.”
“My brother sent me Hey Rachel without having any knowledge that they were writing it,” Rachel says. “I first listened to it at 10 a.m., and I immediately started sobbing, because it brought back so many emotions and memories from a time in my past that was very difficult for me. My brother also asked for my permission to put it on the album, and my initial reaction was actually ‘no’; it’s a scary and intimidating feeling to put a private story out into the public for everyone to hear and judge, but the feedback and the support everyone has given the song has made it a little easier to handle. And just so everyone knows, I forgave him years ago.”
After its January 20th release, okay. landed at #1 on the U.S. Billboard Heatseekers Chart, #1 Alternative New Albums Chart, and has received much positive acclaim, having scored rave reviews from critics.
As It Is just wrapped up a string of headline dates in Japan and are currently touring in Australia until February 12 before heading out on an EU/UK tour as support to State Champs, starting on February 21. Scroll down for a full list of tour dates.
About As It Is
The transatlantic pop-rock quintet hails from Brighton, UK, consisting of Patty Walters (vocals), Benjamin Biss (vocals, guitar), Andy Westhead (guitar), Patrick Foley (drums), Alistair Testo (bass). As It Is has successfully established an ever-growing, devout fan following with their heart-on-sleeve, honest and relatable lyrics, charged with pop-rock melodies, and has steadily built their reputation as one of UK’s brightest new names with the 2015 release of their debut album, Never Happy, Ever After, which was noted by Rock Sound as “everything a modern pop-punk album should be,” and by Outburn Magazine as “an impressive first outing that sets the stage for As It Is’ bright future.” The band was noted as one of Alternative Press’ 100 Bands You Need To Know in 2015, voted Best British Newcomer by Rock Sound in their Reader’s Poll, and lead singer Patty Walters was featured on the cover of their New Music Issue. The band has crisscrossed the U.S. as a standout act on the Vans Warped Tour 2015, have shared the stage with Mayday Parade, Real Friends, and This Wild Life, among many others, and were nominated for Best International Band in the Alternative Press Awards 2016. With the release of their second, full-length album, Okay., As It Is push themselves both musically and lyrically to craft their most personal and honest record to date, and stand poised for their biggest year yet.
AS IT IS TOUR DATES
AUSTRALIA
Feb 7 – Newcastle @ Drone
Feb 10 – Melbourne @ The Evelyn Hotel
Feb 11 – Melbourne @ The Evelyn Hotel
Feb 12 – Adelaide @ Fowler’s Live
w/ STATE CHAMPS
Feb 21 – Bilbao, Spain @ Stage Live
Feb 22 – Barcelona, Spain @ Razzamatazz
Feb 23 – Madrid, Spain @ El Sol
Feb 25 – Paris, France @ La Boule Noire
Feb 26 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Melkweg
Feb 28 – Cologne, Germany @ Luxor
Mar 1 – Hamburg, Germany @ Logo
Mar 2 – Berlin, Germany @ Bi Nuu
Mar 3 – Vienna, Austria @ Arena
Mar 5 – Milano, Italy @ Legend Club
Mar 6 – Karlsruhe, Germany @ Die Stadtmitte
Mar 7 – Antwerpen, Belgium @ Trix
Mar 9 – Southampton, UK @ Engine Rooms
Mar 10 – Bristol, UK @ O2 Academy
Mar 11 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Ritz
Mar 13 – Newcastle, UK @ Riverside
Mar 14 – Glasgow, UK @ Garage
Mar 16 – Leeds, UK @ Beckett Uni
Mar 17 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Institute
Mar 18 – London, UK @ O2 Forum
