Courtney Barnett has acknowledged similarities between the recently released music video for her single ‘Before You Gotta Go’ and fellow Melbourne act Quivers’ clip for ‘You’re Not Always On My Mind’.
Both music videos feature the respective musicians heading out into the field and recording audio samples from the natural world. Additionally, the lyric from Barnett’s song, “You’re always on my mind”, is similar to the title of the Quivers song.
Quivers’ video, directed by Nina Renee, was filmed on the island of Toarra-Marra-Monah (also known as Maria Island in Tasmania), as well as Woiwurrung and Boon Wurrung country (Melbourne).
Barnett’s video, directed by Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore and released a year and half later, was also filmed on Woiwurrung and Boon Wurrung country, in addition to unceded Indigenous land in Aotearoa (New Zealand).
Watch both videos below:
On social media, Barnett promoted the Quivers video, saying “I thought I had come up with a beautiful, original idea for a video, but it seems like I was wrong”.
“I’d like to introduce you to Melbourne band [Quivers] and director [Nina Renee] who had the same idea way before me,” she wrote.
“Any similarities are completely coincidental and if I had seen this clip when I was making mine I would have completely changed my concept or the way we explored it.”
The music video’s description on YouTube has also been amended to acknowledge the similarities.
“The resemblance is uncanny, but it’s entirely coincedental [sic]. We respect and admire Quivers and Nina Renee and we appreciate them reaching out and having the conversation with us.”
On Facebook, Quivers wrote, “We want to thank Courtney Barnett for acknowledging the similarities between her clip and this one by Nina Renee for ‘You’re Not Always On My Mind’.”
‘Before You Gotta Go’ is lifted from Barnett’s forthcoming album ‘Things Take Time, Take Time’, due out November 12. ‘You’re Not Always On My Mind’ was included on Quivers’ album ‘Golden Doubt’, released back in June.
