Here's one of the many things that makes Fountains Of Wayne so special. Lots of bands namecheck specific places in songs. Always a good idea, always guarantees a great response when playing a gig there. Usually you pick your hometown, or a large market like New York or Boston. Fountains Of Wayne, however, seem to pick places based purely on absurdity or the way the names sound. This song is a perfect example with its reference to Schenectady — a faded city in upstate NY that I promise you is not a big market for this band or any other. In fact, having spent four years in college there I can tell you that the best thing about Schenectady is saying the word. And, sure enough, it sounds even better when part of rhyme.
Director Adam Neustadter also clearly loves the band, but also recognized that the razor sharp and very specific lyrics of "Someone To Love" meant he had to give life to a story that already had clearly defined characters and a basic storyline.
Adam Neustadter, director: "When I first heard 'Someone To Love,' I immediately thought of The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby." Not just because of Beth's last name — which may be a reference to Father Mackenzie — but because of the accurate descriptions of these lonely people and how the song answers The Beatles' questions of, "All the the lonely people, where do they all come from? All the lonely people, where do they all belong?" Was I reading into this too much? Absolutely.
I've known Adam Schlesinger and Jody Porter from Fountains Of Wayne for a few years now and have been listening to the band since high school. FOW craft these perfect pop songs that are usually narratives, so the concept for the video had to follow the story of the song pretty closely. We got very lucky with the cast. Demetri Martin, who is one of my favorite comedians and a brilliant guy, plays Seth Shapiro. Faryl Millet, who is also incredibly talented and has somewhat of a cult following from her show Fancy Nancy's Funny Hour, plays Beth Mackenzie. The story is about these two lonely characters living in New York, leading parallel lives right next door to each other, but with no idea the other exists. When their paths finally do cross, they blow the chance at finding love and we see that, despite being so lonely, they're still cutthroat New Yorkers who are too busy to care."
--> watch "Someone To Love"
Fountains Of Wayne "Someone To Love" (Virgin)
Adam Neustadter, director | Mark De Pace, producer | Ghost Robot, production co | Eric Robbins, DP | Jason Kileen/PS 260, editor | Ingenuity Engine, visual effects
