The Portland-based indie trio release a clever, beautiful and wonderfully uplifting song and video inspired by Dan Connor’s chemo treatments and his battle against cancer.
LOVE BY NUMB3RS are based around the impressively creative writing and performing team of vocalist Anna Lombard, her multi-instrumentalist partner Jon Roods and co-vocalist Dan Connor. The band specialise in a sophisticated and eloquent mashup of soulful roots rock and Americana and ‘Can’t Lie Like This‘ is the second song released from their superb recent EP, ‘Colours‘.
Interestingly, the song started out quite differently to where the promo has taken it. “The inspiration behind writing this song was based on a dear friend of mine who struggled with substance abuse,” reveals Connor. “This led me down a bit of a rabbit hole as I began reflecting upon my own family history of substance abuse and dysfunction.”
The promo was directed by Lombard and Roods and, as they developed the idea for the video, Rood was struck by the parallels between the initial subject of the song, someone struggled with addiction, and Connor’s own recent struggle with serious illness and recovery.
“Jon and I directed the video, but I would be remiss not to mention the vision Jon had for this one,” says Lombard. “While the song in its lyrical content was meant to be about the aforementioned lifelong struggles with alcoholism, Jon began seeing the line ‘can’t lie like this anymore’ as more of a metaphor for Dan’s battle with cancer and monthly chemo cycles.”
The video cuts from golden exterior shots of bucolic landscapes and dramatic shorelines, to Connor confined to his bed as he endures his drug treatment. He find release by imagining himself breaking free from his struggles by heading outside with his guitar to enjoy the gorgeous wide-open spaces. It’s a very well executed promo that gives the song a whole new level of resonance.
As with the rest of the EP, the songwriting is first-class, and the musicianship and performances equally impressive. Working around the limitations brought about by Connor’s serious illness and exhausting drug treatment that followed, the band – and especially Connor – have had to really struggle to get to where they are now. Make no mistake, once again, LOVE BY NUMB3RS demonstrate that they are a formidable and very talented creative team.
