Video: Belle and Sebastian – “Unnecessary Drama”

Directed by Kasparas Vidunas & Eric J. Liddle. From A Bit of Previous, out May 5 on Matador.

Unfortunate timing for poor Belle and Sebastian! Just as they’re ramping up to announce their first new album in seven years, the Russians invade Ukraine and start a war and make everything else seem meaningless or silly. They released this video for “Unnecessary Drama” and then immediately followed it up with a Ukrainian fundraiser where they pledged to donate all artist income from “If They’re Shooting At You” to the Red Cross, including streaming, digital sales, and publishing royalties.

So now that our priorities are established, we can get back to enjoying “Unnecessary Drama,” an upbeat B&S jam with a relentless harmonica line (humorously ripped on in the video when the band’s therapist requires Stevie to hand over his harp because it’s distracting the session).

There’s an array of douchebags lining up
To play their stupid parts.

I love it when Belle and Sebastian act tough and mean.

Video: Belle and Sebastian- “If They’re Shooting at You”

Created in collaboration with photographers covering the conflict in Ukraine. From A Bit of Previous, out May 5 on Matador.

Frontman Stuart Murdoch says:

When the situation in Ukraine first started to happen it became clear that the lives of the people there, and probably ‘ours’ too, were never going to be the same. The band had just started rolling out tracks for our new album, and it all felt a bit silly to be honest.

We had one track called ‘If They’re Shooting At You’, it’s a song about being lost, broken and under threat of violence. The key line is ‘if they’re shooting at you kid you must be doing something right.’

We stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and hope that their pain and suffering can be brought to a halt as soon as possible.

We got in touch with various photographers and creatives in Ukraine and they generously said that we could put their pictures to music. In creating this we aspire to show a hopeful, defiant side, as well as bringing an awareness to the plight of the people there.

We think any way in which we can get behind Ukraine – politically, culturally, practically, spiritually – it must all add up in the end. Together we have to do what it takes to help Ukraine beat this tyranny.

Please consider giving to the Disasters Emergency Committee, The Red Cross, or any other humanitarian charity involved in the crisis.

If you choose to donate to the Red Cross, please visit here redcross.org.uk/ukraine. They are part of the joint appeal with the DEC until March 18th, and money donated before then will be matched by the UK government.