15 April 2014 - 0 Comments

Smashproof, who achieved New Zealand's longest run at number one by a Kiwi artist with their song Brother (feat. Gin Wigmore) releases a compelling follow-up video with Survivors.

Like the Brother song and video, Survivors is a raw black-and-white portrait of social issues in Aotearoa, filmed by the same award-winning director Chris Graham; and featuring a bold vocal performance, this time by popular RnB artist Pieter T.

Chris Graham won the Tui award for Best Music Video with Brother in 2009, while the song won Smashproof Tuis for both Highest Selling Single and People's Choice.

The Survivors music video was filmed entirely at Rosehill Intermediate in Papakura, where Smashproof member Tyree Tautogia is a teacher aide, and features school students as actors in a story that details the pain and triumph of the song's key characters, Jeremiah and Talia.

"Chris asked me about getting the school I work at involved, and the principal and staff were really supportive from the outset," says Smashproof's Tyree.

"The kids' performances are awesome, and they really help bring the issues the song deals with to life."

As well as being funded by NZ On Air, the music video was co-produced - and released in conjunction with - Live For Tomorrow, a project by youth organisation Zeal, which encourages young people to believe in the possibilities of their future.

Live For Tomorrow previously partnered with Survivors feature artist Pieter T on the music video Tomorrow, encouraging a healthy dialogue around the issue of youth suicide.

"The issues explored in the 'Survivors' music video are real and, whether seen or unseen, affect thousands of New Zealand young people," says Zeal CEO Brook Turner.

"This music video encourages those young people that they can overcome hard times and pursue a new tomorrow."

The video is online and at television now. Watch here http://livefortomorrow.co.nz/smashproof-survivors-feat-pieter-t/

Fans of the song and music video are encouraged to share their stories of overcoming using the hashtag #ImASurvivor.

Stories can also be submitted to Live For Tomorrow at http://livefortmw.tumblr.com/.

The Survivors single is now available for purchase on iTunes http://bit.ly/1gxAN9b.

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