The combination of music and photography can be magical. The authenticity and rawness of music is unparalleled. Musicians pour their hearts and souls into every aspect of their art. From the meticulous process of writing and recording an album, to the tireless effort of promoting it through tours, music is a labor of love.
That's why we were deeply honored when Third Man Records approached us to design a set and photograph the cover art for Olivia Jean's new album, "Raving Ghost". We knew that she had invested countless hours and unwavering passion into creating it, and we understood how much trust she was placing in us to create something that visually represented the sound and theme of "Raving Ghost".
Working on Olivia Jean's album cover was a dream come true for us, from start to finish. The opportunity to merge our creative talents with the passion and hard work of a talented musician was a perfect synergy.
It all started with the music. Third Man Records sent us Olivia's new album "Raving Ghost" to listen to us and use to inspire the set design. The tracks were spellbinding, powerful, and packed with storytelling. "Mezmerizing" was the word that kept coming back to us.
Our mission was clear: to create a set design that would leave viewers just as entranced as the music had left us. Olivia collaborated with us closely to fine-tune the design and select the colors. The set itself was a completely custom build, tailored to her height.
Our ultimate goal was to create a set that truly reflected Olivia's inspiration and interpretation of the album. With her guidance and our passion, we poured our hearts and souls into every aspect of the design
David conceptualized a modular forced perspective set using three descending cubes, carefully crafted for structural integrity. His design allowed Olivia to stand, crawl, sit, and move freely within each section of the set, maximizing artistic expression and visual impact.
David's process began with a rough sketch, followed by a crafted scale model that ensured each element would function as planned before he began the actual build.
We built the set in Richmond, Virginia and then loaded it into our truck and drove it to Nashville, TN for the cover shoot in The Blue Room at Third Man Records.
Olivia was amazing to work with. She brought a contagious energy to the shoot and her willingness to explore creative possibilities made the experience that much more fun. She was so open and wanted to do whatever it took to get the best photos possible.
I am so proud of what we created together. "Raving Ghost" is a hypnotic album and is truly a work of art. I've been listening to her single "Trouble" on repeat ever since it was released. You can preorder "Raving Ghost" now through Third Man Records with an official release date of May 5, 2023!