Twin Tacoma’s ‘Simplest Things’: the story behind the lyric video
When Twin Tacoma approached me to create a lyric video for Simplest Things, the vision came almost immediately: a hazy summer morning and an appreciation for life's quiet pleasures.
The track's dreamlike quality, rich with imagery — open water, creeping dawn, the coastline — served as a natural compass for the visuals. I just needed to translate the mood of the song into something tangible.
So, the plan was set. I just needed golden hour light, colourful scenery, and a sense of movement. What followed was a journey that offered moments of patience and serendipity, as well as a few missed opportunities.
Hiiumaa: the island of light and shadow
The first stop on this creative quest was Hiiumaa, a remote Estonian island with just 10,000 inhabitants. Known locally as “Paradise Island,” Hiiumaa has a quiet, unspoiled charm.
The pine forests go on forever, the air thick with the sharp tang of resin and the salt of the nearby sea. One moment, the road pulls you into marshy woodlands; the next, it spills out into fields of hay bales, windmills turning lazily in the distance. Approaching the beaches, pine cones crunch underfoot, and wild strawberries no bigger than your fingernail grow in quiet abundance — a true taste of summer.
But as perfect as it sounds, Hiiumaa wasn't immediately kind to me. For days, the light was flat, the skies overcast. At 4 a.m., I'd drag myself out of bed only to find uninspiring conditions. The magic I was chasing felt just out of reach.
One evening, golden hour finally arrived — deep orange light spilling over the fields, the kind of light that makes anything look cinematic.
But I wasn't behind the camera; I was at a friend's birthday dinner. As the light danced across the brows of the guests, I sat at the table, internally waging war with myself. Every photographer knows this feeling: the perfect conditions outside, and yet you can't excuse yourself without seeming rude. That evening, I chose to stay.
The frustration lingered. Was I running out of time?
It wasn't until the final weekend of my stay in the small harbour village of Sõru that the stars — or, more accurately, the clouds — finally aligned. The sun poured down in uninterrupted glory. It was then, camera in hand and my girlfriend behind the wheel, that I captured the heart of Simplest Things.
We stuck to the water, weaving through the passages to echo the song's themes of movement and nature. When dusk arrived, so did an army of mosquitos. Armed only with shorts and a camera, I got the footage I needed, along with a patchwork of bites to remember it by.
Blending landscapes
Hiiumaa's coastline provided the foundation, but it wasn't the whole story. The song itself references Australian place names, and I felt the chorus demanded a grandeur that Hiiumaa's flat terrain couldn't quite deliver.
Enter Cornwall, UK.
Earlier that year, I'd visited Duckpool Beach, a rugged bay framed by towering cliffs. Crouching halfway up one of those cliffs, camera and gimbal in hand, I felt terrified as smiley hikers bounced past me, seemingly unaware of the 100ft sheer drop to our left.
With the Atlantic crashing below, I leaned out as far as I dared, capturing wide shots of the waves.
Those Cornwall cliffs became the visual anchor for the song's pre-chorus: “We're out on open water, alone at last.” After the motion-heavy opening scenes, I wanted some still frames to allow the video to breathe a little.
For the outro, I dipped into my archives again, this time to Lake Peipsi in eastern Estonia.
When creativity meets patience
This project taught me a lesson that's perhaps counterintuitive in creative fields: sometimes, the best work comes not from forcing inspiration, but from waiting for the right moment.
In writing, the argument often goes that you don't wait for ideas to fall from the sky — you sit at your desk in quiet frustration every morning. You show up, and eventually, the muse rewards you.
In videography, you're often at the mercy of the elements, though. Had the light remained flat in Hiiumaa, I could have finished the video, sure — but it wouldn't have captured the magic of Simplest Things that I'd imagined.
Creativity, in this case, wasn't about relentless effort. It was about being ready when nature offered its gifts, and knowing when to step back until conditions were right.
Twin Tacoma: from one hemisphere to another
What I love most about this collaboration is its juxtaposition: a song inspired by Australian landscapes, brought to life through imagery from Estonia and the UK.
While authenticity might have called for me to film in Roseville or Nowra, the practicalities of cost and carbon footprint kept me closer to home. Still, I hope the sunlit coasts of Hiiumaa and Cornwall carry the spirit of the song.
Ultimately, this video serves as a reminder that nature transcends geography. Wherever you are, stepping away from the chaos of city life and into nature is universal.
Watch the video
Check out the lyric video for Twin Tacoma's Simplest Things:
For more of Twin Tacoma's music, I'd recommend Weightless and Tightropes — they've been on repeat for me for some time now. Follow on Spotify here.