LA Artist Tolliver and NY’s Cautious Clay Unveil Short Films for Dr. Martens Presents: Music & Film Series
Dr. Martens Presents: Music & Film Series features
Filmmakers: Ali Roberto L.A. and Gabriel Gomez NYC
Music artists: Blimes and Gab, Cautious Clay, duendita, Frankie & The Witch Fingers, Lauren Ruth Ward, NEZ, Orion Sun, The Regrettes, Rosehardt, Stuyedeyed, Sunflower Bean, Tolliver
PORTLAND, OR (December 18, 2020) Los Angeles-based artist Tolliver and New York’s Cautious Clay are the latest artists to unveil short documentary films as a part of the annual Dr. Martens Presents: Music & Film Series, in partnership with COLLiDEAgency. Through the lens of L.A.-based filmmaker Ali Roberto and NYC-based filmmakerGabriel Gomez, the Dr. Martens Presents: Music & Film Series champions musicians living in the LA and NYC music scenes through a series of mini-documentary films that celebrate perseverance. Read more and watch the films with Tolliver and Cautious Clay via Flaunt.
Stay connected with the Dr. Martens Presents: Music & Film Series here: https://www.drmartens.com/us/en/dm-presents
LA-based artist Tolliver, who works closely with the Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory, talks about why his work with the community-minded organization has made him optimistic about the future of youth art collaboration and activism in his installment of the Dr. Martens Music & Film Series. Watch Tolliver in Episode 5 of the Dr. Martens Presents: Music & Film Series here: https://youtu.be/vwnCw54NChc
NY’s Cautious Clay talks about how people’s collectivizing in the pandemic, raising their voices in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and protesting gives him hope. Watch Cautious Clay in Episode 6 of the Dr. Martens Presents: Music & Film Serieshere: https://youtu.be/jENtDqCtzqI
This Sunday, December 20th, Cautious Clay will perform live on the Dr. Martens Instagram page at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET as a part of Dr. Martens Presents: Music & Film Series. Tune in here.
LA artist Lauren Ruth Ward and NY's Rosehardt were the first two artists to release films as a part of Dr. Martens Presents: Music & Film Series. Ward detailed the struggles of canceling her tour and Rosehardt outlined how he's been using the pandemic to improve his craft, and optimize his time. Check out their short films along with the stories from the Clio-winning filmmakers Ali Roberto (LA) and Gabriel Gomez (NY) here at Variety: https://bit.ly/2HuHpfr
Additional confirmed music artists for the annual Dr. Martens Presents: Music & Film Series include Blimes and Gab, duendita, Frankie & The Witch Fingers, Lauren Ruth Ward, NEZ, Orion Sun, The Regrettes, Stuyedeyed and Sunflower Bean.
More info on Tolliver, Cautious Clay and the Dr. Martens Presents: Music & Film Series below.
ABOUT DR. MARTENS
The first pair of Dr. Martens boots rolled off the production line on the 1st April 1960. With its trademark yellow stitch, grooved sole and heel-loop, it was a boot for workers, initially worn by postmen and policemen; comfortable, durable and lightweight in comparison to its competitors at the time.
Throughout Dr. Martens history, the brand has been adopted and subverted by diverse individuals, musicians, youth cultures and tribes. These are the people who stand out from the crowd and their journey of self-expression has always been accompanied by a pair of DM’s.
The simple silhouette allows people to customize each pair; whilst on a utilitarian level their famous durability and comfort make them ideal footwear for the world of gigs and street fashion. On an emotional level, they are a flag of attitude and empowerment.
The Northamptonshire factory where it all began still exists to this day, in the village of Wollaston. A specific range of ‘Made In England’ products are manufactured here by a small, close-knit team of people schooled in traditional shoe-making and a process that hasn’t changed since our first pair six decades ago.
ABOUT TOLLIVER
Written and recorded with all-star production team The Architects (Miguel, Alicia Keys), Tolliver’s sparkling new EP, ‘Thin Black Dude,’ is equal parts unbridled hedonism and morning-after regret, a conflicted party record that blurs the lines between soul, funk, R&B, and hip-hop as it grapples with sex and jealousy, money and betrayal, self-doubt and self-control. Tolliver, whose bisexual identity and appetite for debauchery are frequently at odds with his strict religious upbringing, writes with a keen observational eye and lacerating wit. His lyrics are raw and unfiltered, at times hilarious, but there’s a swift undercurrent of guilt and that flows just beneath the surface.
“When I play this music for people, I want them to experience the same catharsis that I felt writing it,” he explains. “It’s that classic black music combo. I want them to have the time of their lives, but I also want them to repent for their sins.”
Biblical references come up frequently in conversation with Tolliver, and it’s little surprise considering his God-fearing roots. Born on the south side of Chicago, he was raised by a Baptist minister father and a gospel-singing mother, and he first fell in love with music on Sundays at church. As a child, he played piano; in high school, he became enamored with musical theater; and in college, he majored in Jazz Vocal Performance. After graduation, Tolliver moved to LA, where he took work editing gay pornography and writing for blogs to help pay the bills while he pursued a career in music. Band-less for the first time in years, he began fleshing out his solo recordings with electronic elements, and the result was a stunning blend of old and new that absolutely oozed sex appeal even as it tackled weighty personal issues. The Line Of Best Fit called Tolliver’s 2018 debut EP, ‘Rites,’ “sultry, and ominous,” likening it to The Weeknd or Twin Shadow, while Clash described it as “future soul with an R&B twist,” and LA Weekly raved that Tolliver’s “seraphic falsetto can stop you in your tracks and make the hairs on your body feel like bayonets.”
ABOUT CAUTIOUS CLAY
Cautious Clay’s creative process is whatever he defines it to be. The singer-songwriter weaves freestyling lush harmonies and sobering lyrics that challenge love and acceptance–all components of what makes his fusion of alternative R&B and pop a sacred destination for music lovers. Hailing from a musical background by way of the flute and saxophone as a child, the Cleveland-born, Brooklyn based artist took on a brief stint as a leasing agent in NYC before dropping “Cold War” in 2018. After amassing several million streams, the track found its way onto Issa Rae’s hit series Insecure and earned him critical praise for the project, Blood Type.
Between dropping stellar projects like the RESONANCE EP and Table of Context, Cautious (born Joshua Karpeh) became a go-to collaborator for the likes of John Mayer (“Carry Me Away”), Taylor Swift (“London Boy”) and John Legend (“Bigger Love”). Despite the presence of a pandemic, Cautious is now focused on his new album, expected in 2021. The project puts enticing lyrics about the new reality of love, belonging, and those indescribable feelings in-between at centre-stage; with the occasional rousing of comedic relief and stunning musicianship throughout.