Following the release of her sophomore album, MYCELiUM earlier this month, Aluna is back with the official music video for “Running Blind“, a collaboration with French producer and DJ Tchami, with vocals from Aluna and Atlanta-born artist, songwriter, and producer Kareen Lomax. The music video was directed by Priya Minhas. Watch it now below.
Speaking about the new video, Aluna reveals, “Kareen and I met on the night that Beyoncé made history as the first Black woman to win the ’Dance Electronic Album of the Year’ category at the Grammys. That night we felt so free, riding around town celebrating, the little girls inside us taking over the vibe. Priya Minhas captures that feeling with the story of Jordyn, Trumuir, Haven and D’Maurier meeting on a hot summer’s day in the city, their whole life ahead of them.”
Talking about the track, Aluna explains, “This is an unusual track on the album because Tchami actually sent me this beat and I wrote to it remotely. The irresistible sound just immediately made me think of the insatiable pull that freedom has on me. In my experience, freedom is not something you win on your own, just like I wasn’t able to single handedly change the industry for Black women. When Kareen effortlessly added her poetry, the song took on a whole new level and I finally felt like it was doing the job it was meant.”
On her latest album, Aluna shares, “The Mycelium is the cell network seeped into the fabric of nature. I’m not talking about the bloom or the fruits. You need to lay the groundwork to see the fruit one day. I got burnt out from trying to work with powerful people who have lots of money and no actual genuine care for what I’m trying to do. I realized there was no foundation where I was standing, and we have to build our own foundation. It’s not going to be all bells and whistles; it’s going to be substance. So, I broke some barriers and started mentoring creative fans. I built a community of Black Ravers on Geneva and by joining groups on Instagram and social media. Now, the album is my community I’ve created.”
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR & FESTIVAL DATES
08/05 – Bleached Festival – San Diego, CA^
08/06 – Higher Ground Festival – Seattle, WA^
08/11 – Das Energi Festival – Salt Lake City, UT^
09/01 – North Coast Festival – Chicago, IL^
09/02 – Phoenix Hotel – San Francisco, CA⇑
09/08 – The Church – Denver, CO⇑
09/09 – The Fonda – Los Angeles, CA⇑
09/10 – 916 Block Party – Sacramento, CA^
09/23 – Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO++
09/24 – Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO++
10/06 – Velvet Underground – Toronto, ON⇑
10/07 – Magic Stick – Detroit, MI⇑
10/13 – Warehouse on Watts – Philadelphia, PA⇑
10/14 – Culture – Washington, DC⇑
10/20 – III Points Festival – Miami, FL^
11/11 – Elsewhere – Brooklyn, NY⇑
⇑Headline Show
^Festival Dates
++Supporting Louis The Child