In these days in quarantine, one might reorganize and clean up their living space as a way to pass the time. Yet, what happens when reorganizing your life uncovers that hazy memory of a romance that could have been. When you’re awash in thoughts of “what if,” is it possible to back and pick up where things left off (even if it’s a time when no one can go anywhere?) Though DELUNE – the alt-pop duo made of sisters Kate & Izzi Eberstadt — didn’t write “Morse Code” for the COVID-19 pandemic, its message of longing, of that desire to connect is only amplified in this time of coronavirus.
The music video, premiering Apr. 30 here on HollywoodLife, is a gorgeous accompaniment to the hauntingly beautiful song. It’s inspiring in its simplicity, a video depicting an undeterred paramour attempting to signal his true love by revealing his feelings to her. Though his messages go unacknowledged, his dedication remains steadfast. Oddly enough, the video – showing one attempting to communicate with another over a physical distance – arrives at a time when we’re forced to maintain our social ties through FaceTime, Zoom chats, and more digital substitutions. It’s a synchronicity that isn’t lost on the band.
“We’ve been collaborating with London-based animator Alexandra Hohner to create hand-drawn surrealist visuals for our debut concept album, Pierrot,” DELUNE tells HollywoodLife. “Alex began storyboarding ‘Morse Code’ in a pre-COVID world; it’s uncanny how her imagery, starring two characters isolated from one another, has only become more and more resonant. This video captures the heart of the song: longing, across distance, to be close to someone you can’t reach.”
“Fun fact: we composed a line of real morse code into the instrumental, which translates to ‘love and kisses,'” the band adds “For decades, this signal was tapped out over telegrams as a message to loved ones. In an era of constant communication, so much meaning slips through the cracks; ‘Morse Code’ sends up a flare, hoping to get one back.”
This video continues the aesthetic established in their first single and video, “Lavender Too.” In this introductory visual, we meet the couple of “Morse Code,” as well as the themes we can expect when Pierrot arrives. In a year marked with tragedy and heartache, it’s good to have something to look forward to. Fans can expect another song from DELUNE soon, as the band plans to release one song a month. They’ve already released an impromptu followup: “Quarantine Dream,” with a video made out of Google Maps and Zoom chats.
Born in Washington D.C., sisters Kate and Izzi sewed the seeds for DELUNE by singing in their shared bedroom while developing the interests that would influence their band-in-the-making. After graduating from Columbia University, the duo headed to Berlin to teach music in a refugee camp. They began their music career upon return to the States, releasing music while teaching music at Rikers Island. In addition to their Pierrot project, they’re composing music for Lalabala Project, a musical theatre piece set for a premiere in Kathmandu.