"Many tales of love have been told upon the stage" is the fitting opening line of the first music video released by 5j Barrow, the band whose founders fell in love as lead actors in Spring Awaking. Broadway actors Eryn Murman (Spring Awakening, Broadway) and Jason Hite (American Psycho) are featured with bandmates bassist Drew Jones and drummer Gerard Canonico (Groundhog Day, Spring Awakening) in the visually compelling music video telling the story of Sarah Brown, one of 5j Barrow's most popular songs.
"We chose Sarah Brown as our first music video because the song connects so deeply with our audiences," says Murman. "People identify with that desperate search for love, a hunger that sometimes devours good judgment and wise decisions." The theme of being bound up and trapped by passions and unrequited love plays out in the video, choreographed in part by Murman's sister Meryl, an award-winning film creator, and produced by the team of Arts on Site.
"This isn't your typical music video, but our 5j Barrow fans wouldn't expect that from us," says Murman. "There's dark humor in this song that is about a lonely woman's blinding search for love. Her search is different from the young lovers in Spring Awakening, but the ending is similarly tragic in many ways. We hope that our music always tells a story that has universal themes to connect with people."
Murman and Hite recently completed a 100+ city tour of the USA, playing from coast to coast in diverse venues after getting married last November in Cleveland, OH, the bride's hometown. After discovering their shared passion for writing music in their Greenwich Village apartment on Barrow Street, they focused their love of performance in new directions, forming 5j Barrow in 2011 and winning accolades from audiences and music critics around the country.
"New York City will always be the original home of 5j Barrow inspiring us as we continue to create songs that reflect the energy and passion of musicians, painters, poets and writers who created the Village vibe," says Murman. "But after traveling to so many places, and learning that we could feel a real sense of belonging just about anywhere, we realize that home is wherever we are."
5j Barrow also recently released their second EP, The Journey: Vol.2, now available on iTunes, Apple Music and Spotify.
Jason Hite (American Psycho) and Eryn Murman (Spring Awakening), who fell in love as lead actors in Spring Awakening before founding the band 5j Barrow, have released their first music video about unrequited love. Look for 5j Barrow's release of Sarah Brown on YouTube to understand why the two lovers are all bound up.
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