Pride Month has come and gone, but Halifax indie powerhouse Rich Aucoin has dropped his brand new music video for “The Change” to celebrate nevertheless. Directed by Hanlon McGregor, the video brings brand new energy to transgender experiences, as McGregor’s expressive storytelling gels flawlessly with Aucoin’s grounded, yet heartfelt sound.
Listeners of all backgrounds are sure to latch on to the choir-powered chorus right away, but the contents of the video will especially spark the message of “the change is in you” within trans listeners. The video offers snapshots of the then-and-now life of a transgender man, from his younger self’s visible discontent with long hair to the present day, where he exudes tranquility and grace with his true self.
“It feels both vulnerable and awesome,” says director Hanlon McGregor, who also features in the video as the man. “I hope that it finds its way to the eyes and hearts of trans people and their families as well as anyone seeking to understand the trans experience better. It feels like letting go of the things I’ve been holding onto.”
“I feel proud of our work and I hope it rings true for people.”
The song itself packs a punch of hope in its own right, with a steadily-paced, soft-spoken baseline dotted by sporadic spikes in energy throughout. It’s quite reminiscent of a song that would be played for a montage video, or perhaps a promotional piece for a movement of some kind.
“I was really moved by the video,” says Aucoin. “I really like seeing artists pull things together with limitations, and so this video is another great example of many artists and friends coming together to make something on a modest budget.”
In a world where our representation is more-or-less limited to our pain, Aucoin and McGregor instead offer a message hope and inspiration, that there’s so much more to us than our struggles. “The Change” is not only a great tune, but an important one as well.