Behind The Scenes: CLØUDY SKIES - Gleams And Ghosts (Official Video)

The band describes the track as a perfect breath to the heart of the album and gathers a balanced atmosphere between sweetness, melancholia, and harshness offering a moment of introspection, imagination, and dreams for the listener. The song explores another facet of the band's music, that of sensitivity. G&G sometimes comes close to the beauty and depth of doom/metal/gothic masters like Katatonia and Swallow the Sun while the haunted lyrics could remind those written by female singers such as Marissa Nadler, Weyes Blood, and Chelsea Wolfe.

The song's guitarist and lyricist, Nicolas Simon, shares his memory of the genesis of the song :

"We had written most of the songs for the album, but there was one we couldn't finish. I guess the mood was different on it... and when it happens you have 2 choices: leave it a few days and work again on it or leave it forever. We chose the 1st option and we really don't regret it! Eventually, it took us longer than the others to achieve but once the melodies and the lyrics matched, it became a damn fine beauty (Lionel did an incredible job on it): a jewel in the album and we are really proud of it. This is why it was obvious we would choose Gleams and Ghosts for the band's first video”.

The music video for "Gleams and Ghosts" was directed, shot, and played by the band's longtime friend Nicolas Marrocco (also known as Marok or Badaja) during winter 2022 in Etretat, Normandy, FRANCE. The video transposes the story from a lonely house in the woods to the beach and sea, aligning with the song's themes of expectation and hope.

"We have known Marok since the late '90s. Time flies !! " says Nicolas SIMON. We started our 1st band with him. He is very talented at what he does and touches (music, graphism, video, crafting instruments...).Lionel and I gave him completely free rein. And he did what inspired him. He even played his own role: wow! "While the story is supposed to take place in a lonely house in the woods, Marok changed everything and transposed the story to another place. He chose to go to.....the sea! What a great surprise to discover that the video had been shot at the beach surrounded by the sea and the high cliffs with Marok playing the main character. In fact, he saw right through it: it matches 100% with the meaning of the song... expectation and hope...and by the way the artwork of our album changes. Thanks, man for your work. "