FEATURE: Georgia Mooney – War Romance (Dir. Tobias Willis)

The tumult of our contemporary world can at times feel all consuming. Caught in a cycle of global tragedy, from Covid, to climate change, to a bedlam of political unrest, it seems as though little sits within our control. Naturally we seek out love and stability to ease our uncertainty. Eora/Sydney based singer/songwriter Georgia Mooney articulates this battle between global crisis and human nature with pose, delicacy, and vulnerability in her debut single War Romance. Formerly of ARIA Award-winning folk band All Our Exes Live in Texas, Georgia’s lyrics craft a tale of love and heartbreak complemented by cinematic soundscapes and idiosyncratic melodies. The song’s accompanying music video, directed by Tobias Willis, poses as a modern-day tragedy dressed up in the glamour of Old Hollywood. It pulses with melodrama and romance, an ode to the escapism of the Golden Age cinema. As the clip’s co-producer, Georgia elaborates on her ambitions for the video:

“I have always loved wartime films and novels for the way they portray relationships. When life is fragile and we are faced with our mortality on a daily basis, we cling to one another for comfort. Superficial problems fall away, and the bonds of love feel extraordinarily strong and vital. I wanted the video to feel like a beautiful moment of escapism, all contained in a dream. It needed to be romantic and lush, evoking the colour and richness of the music, and seem to occur in a place and time that is hard to define. It is a love story, but there is a sense that the characters are imagined.”

Dancing the line between campness, melodrama, and naked vulnerability, War Romance tells the story of two people yearning for love in a timeless place. The video marks internationally renowned comedian Rhys Nicholoson’s drag debut, lip syncing to the song as a drag version of Georgia. Georgia acts as the counterpart to this version of herself, dressed as Rhys, transforming her solo debut into a powerful duet. Rhys was styled by Melbourne-based drag performer Ruby Slippers, while Georgia worked with stylist Joanne Gambale and hair and makeup artist Nadine Muller to create her version of Rhys. The styling enhances the already performative qualities of the video and its characters, with Georgia and Rhys delivering a heartfelt rendition of the song under layers and layers of makeup. As the video draws to a close, there is a harsh cut, finally exposing Georgia and Rhys as themselves, dancing together and no longer in drag. It’s like we have walked in on a couple caught deep in the thralls of love, unaware of our presence, and all we can do is take in the beauty of it. It’s a powerful decision, which affirms the sense of intimacy that had been waiting below the surface.