Harper Simon, 'Berkeley Girl' -- Video Premiere

Posted on Aug 25th 2010 11:00AM by Benjy Eisen
Comments

Autumn DeWilde

While the subject of Harper Simon's new single, 'Berkeley Girl,' echoes its title, the video was actually filmed in L.A.'s Echo Park neighborhood -- roughly 373 miles from Berkeley. The displacement is thematic to the narrative, as the song is, in a way, about a love that got away.

"'Berkeley Girl' is a love song to a friend," Simon tells Spinner. "Born in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco during the Summer of Love, she believes in love and service and good rock 'n' roll. Jena Malone, the star of the video, is a hyper-imaginative Earth sprite with some serious fashion sense."

Sounds like Simon found love again. Director Benjamin Kutsko filmed the clip using old fashioned 8mm film, the video intentionally evokes a nostalgic '70s feel. In doing so, it captures a certain Californian vibe that is characteristic of both Berkeley and Echo Park alike -- it's just that where it's called 'hippie' in Berkeley, in Echo Park they prefer 'new bohemian.' But something else changes when the girl moves from one to the other -- her relationship to the narrator. See what we mean below.

Download Harper Simon Songs | Buy Harper Simon Albums