Premiere: Brecilla Bids Farewell to ‘Memories’ in Bittersweet Video

Mumbai singer-songwriter Brecilla D’Souza (who goes by her first name as an artist) revisits and detaches from a past relationship and her feelings associated with it in her music video for “Memories.”

Brecilla – who started off as vocalist in the band My Kind of Blue and then formed the trio Queendom – wrote “Memories” about two years ago, while she was moving houses. The artist was moving closer to her childhood home and the idea of keeping and discarding things while setting up her new home led to the deeply intimate “Memories.”

During the writing process, Brecilla says there was an “instant realization” that the song – produced by frequent collaborator Pranav Kamat – needed a music video. While she had a performance-style live vocal recording of her previous single “Patient With Me” out earlier, “Memories” is the first one with a theme, storyline and direction, complete with a crew involved. Directed by Aryaman Singh and shot by cinematographer Abhimanyu Ullas, “Memories” sees Brecilla get all meta, blurring the lines between real and reel as she goes back to scenes from her past, from evening dates to fights and everything in between. She says, “The song is dynamic, dramatic and has its ups and downs in terms of the lyrics. I wanted to have visuals that go along with so that the viewer can connect with the theme and the words deeply and stay connected with it throughout the duration of the song.” Brecilla oscillates between dissociation and exhaustion in pretense in the midst of heartbreak “and other complex feelings.”  

Playing a role in front of a camera was a new experience for Brecilla. “I had a lot of anxiety around shooting a video of myself though I was always aware that I’d be the best person to convey the emotions around the song because of my lived experience,” she says. She credits rapper Krantinaari for introducing her to Ullas and Singh (they shot the hip-hop artist’s video for “Anushasan”) and even taking the initiative to schedule meetings and checking up on Brecilla.

She adds about the making of the video, “I mentioned that I’ve always wanted to act and be a part of a musical and the team encouraged me to be myself in front of the camera. I felt grounded throughout the filming and Aryaman was mindful, detailed and very objective with the acting feedback. Having their energy around and being surrounded by their curiosity and their passion for video-making pushed me to do my best and I am very proud of that.”

Up next, Brecilla joins Krantinaari and producer Cage for an upcoming song. She adds, “Few more singles that I’ve played live are in the making. ‘Fastest Kid’ another original, is scheduled to be next. I am working on an EP with Pranav Kamat. Queendom, my vocal trio project, is releasing music this year as well.”

Watch the video for “Memories” below. Stream the song here.