“You will never be enough, but you can know the value of your worth if you just put down the measuring stick.”
When Demi Moore took the stage in 2025 to take her rightfully earned Golden Globe after over 40 years of acting and art, she gave a speech about self-doubt and imposter syndrome that rings true for many people who struggle with similar issues. For the local musician duo The Swallowtails, that speech became the building blocks for their song “The Last Time” off of their 3rd studio album, “Perspective.” This features Miki P bringing their perfectly crafted guitar parts, Rachel Lovelace floating transcendently with her bassoon, and both of them providing their lovely voices to the project. Rachel Lovelace had this to say about the group’s music: “I’ve gone through many shapes and forms as a musician and have felt out of place in many of the musical endeavors I’ve encountered in my 15+ years of performing music. The Swallowtails is a place I felt no judgment or comparison. I’ve found a place where I feel confident, inspired, and encouraged.”
This aura of no judgment or comparison is deeply felt within every song; each track provides a piece of rediscovery of the self, the feeling of swaying along with the wind in the trees, or just jamming out with the people you love.
The song “The Last Time” tackles the idea of measuring your self-worth while also acknowledging the obstacles that lie in your path.
“Settle in, settle down, Your fears and your doubts, Measure against yourself, For one last time.”
The song itself already provides a calm within the storm of life with the way the band has crafted it, but the newly released music video brings a whole new, exciting, multi-layered meaning to the art. The video was directed by Alyson O’Hara of Peach Fuzz Productions, a Des Moines-based multidisciplinary artist who practices filmmaking, writing, directing, and even acting in said music video alongside lead actress Brittany Rebhuhn. The video perfectly captures the energy of the song in a very well-crafted narrative that shows the frustrating moments and disappointing energy that come from consistently measuring yourself. It is complemented by amazing camera shots and editing choices to give more depth in a short time to these characters and where we find them.
Personally, the most beautiful moment in the video is when it transitions for the bridge of the song, starting with “Cactus flower blooming in the middle of the night.” The video becomes more dreamlike, with the actors running through a maze of trees until they find each other and swim together freely, even if just for a moment
ALL RIGHTS TO THIS REVIEW GO TO THE AUTHOR = JAMES MILLER (BLOG CONTRIBUTOR)