Surreal pop video clashes climate crisis with the British seaside holiday

A music duo is tackling the climate crisis head on in their new track – but they’re doing it with a difference across their new track The Tide.

The Tide

Aiming for a viral hit this summer, The Tide brings sinister humour along with a serious message to a scene all Brits are familiar with. While beachgoers play obliviously, South West duo the Missing Keys are steadily swallowed by the sea in the new video.

Filmed at Exmouth, Devon, the film is packed with references to current issues from the sinister to the banal, from marauding seagulls to sewage pollution, tabloid media and even a wandering metal detectorist:

“We wanted to create something that was fun yet arresting, to bring a stark message without preaching,” says songwriter Dom Garnett:

So many people sill feel falsely insulated from climate change and the impact of our actions. But what if we took that message away from the world of science bulletins and put it slap bang in the middle of a beach holiday?

He had been stuck with an unfinished idea for years, before inspiration struck on a rough weather boat trip. Feeling profoundly sick and helpless, Dom suddenly found the perfect metaphor for our current situation:

The tide is something you cannot fight. It doesn’t care about you and there is an ominous truth about this and our rising seas. Too many of us still think we can simply look away, but the climate couldn’t give a toss about culture wars or alternative facts. You reap what you sow and change is building constantly like the tide, even when we’re at play. Sadly, our lifeguards are asleep on duty! Entire regions could disappear, while we continue to poison our seas. The world is changing, irrefutably, and unless we can change we risk being swallowed up.

The duo have already pledged to donate any profits from downloads across Spotify and other platforms to climate and environment action groups.

Away from the world of music, both musicians are Devon locals who work and play around the rivers and coast – and are passionate about protecting the environment. Dom is a citizen science volunteer who regularly tests the River Exe, and also a regional angling guide. Singer Ed is a mental health support worker based in Plymouth, who often uses green and blue spaces for therapeutic value.

Featured image via The Missing Keys