Wellerman (Cover)

RELEASED: AUGUST 25, 2024

From early rehearsals to a full-scale production on the stunning El Matador Beach, creating our Wellerman music video was an incredible journey. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at how it all came together.

The Idea

It all began when Marina walked into practice one day with sheet music for what she called a “quick and easy” song—Wellerman. She imagined us singing it together, and despite some initial reluctance from Sivan and Farrah, Marina convinced them we should. Soon, we were tossing around ideas for filming by the ocean, styling it with flowy boho dresses and accessories, and adding a “message in a bottle” storyline. What started as a simple, straightforward project quickly snowballed into something far more creative and fun, turning a basic sea shanty into a full production with a vision.

Finding Our Voices & the Guitar

Sivan and Farrah weren’t too comfortable singing at first and hoped they could blend into the chorus. But as we got further into it, Marina decided each of us should take on solo parts for the verses. She dedicated our practice sessions to helping Sivan and Farrah build confidence vocally. We started out with just ukuleles, but it quickly felt too simple, so we added guitar and tambourine to give it more depth. Sivan took up the guitar, while Farrah used Guitar Pro to arrange the instrumental layers. Before we knew it, we had created something we were genuinely excited about.

Endless Practice

Since Sivan and Farrah weren’t used to playing and singing at the same time, they committed to rehearsing nearly every day. They took their ukuleles to the park and even brought them along on hikes to squeeze in extra practice. Here’s "Trixie", as always, keeping everyone laughing!

Recording & Mixing

Our recording sessions called for a bit of creativity. We set up in Farrah’s bedroom, stacking pillows to dampen sound, and also booked a sound booth at the library for a portion of the project. Farrah embraced sound mixing as a learning opportunity, with invaluable guidance from Boris Mogilevski (Spicy Uke). His expertise brought so much to the project, and he even added a bass line to give the music a solid foundation. (Huge thanks to Boris for all the support—your help made such a difference!)

Location Scouting and Planning

We wanted a cinematic setting, and El Matador Beach in Malibu was first on the list. Sivan and Farrah scouted the location, planning for a day when the tide would be low during the golden hour. With the waves crashing against the cliffs during higher tides, we knew timing would be critical. We had to check tide charts and set our film date for weeks out. This small beach is highly coveted by photographers, and we were concerned about people in our shots. We crossed our fingers and hoped for the best, knowing we really would only get one chance there. If it didn’t work out, we would be stuck at another beach.

Props and Outfits

Our props were a labor of love. Farrah and Sivan hit up Hobby Lobby and found all the materials we needed. Sivan created feather accessories and a hat, while Farrah worked on the message in a bottle, feather pen, and dyed handmade paper to create aged parchment, complete with hand-drawn maps. Sivan’s parents’ store, Monica and Zen, donated beautiful jewelry that added the perfect touch. After searching high and low for the right outfits, we ended up finding exactly what we needed in Sivan’s closet—just a few alterations, and we were ready to go!

Filming Day

El Matador’s beauty came with a tight schedule. With the tide rising and the sun setting, we had to work fast, squeezing in as many shots as we could. Somehow, we really lucked out getting a perfect filming spot down on the beach. We couldn’t have asked for better! However, we did draw a small audience, and a few people even asked where they could catch us live. Filming with a crowd watching is no easy task! Toward the end, Farrah and Sivan were pushing to capture detail shots, and by the time we made it back to the parking lot, it was after closing. Poor Marina ended up with a parking ticket- sorry, Marina!

Editing

Farrah really enjoyed editing this and weaving in the story elements really added to the depth to the overall narrative. In the end, seeing our our vision brought to life was a really rewarding experience.

Our "Wellerman" video was more than just a music project; it was a blend of teamwork, learning, and creativity. From singing solos for the first time to crafting the right aesthetic, every step was a new adventure. And in the end, it all came together in a way that felt completely ours. We were so glad we did it!

Trixie & The Jumping Fleas xoxo