Ride with Jay Som on "The Bus Song"

Rebecca Varidel
11th Oct 2017

On my own social media pages I know the popularity of public transport. There, I share my experiences travelling on the bus using #busstop. Buses are popular.

Over 40 years ago British pop/rock group The Hollies released one of its breaking hits,

"Bus Stop" written by Graham Gouldman who said in a 1976 interview that the idea for the song had come while he was riding home from work on a bus.

Earlier this year, Jay Som - a.k.a. singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Melina Duterte - released her breakout debut album Everybody Works alongside its lead single The Bus Song which was only available in Australia via Bandcamp until now and is now available for the first time via Pod/Inertia Music.

"The Bus Song" is the song that kicked it all off, and which left music fans proclaiming their love for public transportation and has amassed over one million streams to date. Today the song gets its own music video. As a partnership with Amazon Originals and produced by House of Nod, directed by Melina’s friend and former touring mate Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast, “The Bus Song” finds Melina, her band members, friends and fellow Bay Area-area musicians including Plush, Future Shapes and No Vacation gallivanting around their hometown.

Jay Som on "The Bus Song"'s video:

"Michelle directing this video was honestly such a dream come true. I'm already honoured to call her a friend and past tour mate so watching her in action in another field of work left me awestruck and so inspired. What made the video even more special was filming it in both Oakland and San Francisco with an ensemble cast of friends/non actors. It feels like a time capsule of sorts - a goofy reminiscence and portrayal of the Everybody Works album period."

Michelle Zauner on "The Bus Song"'s video:

"I adore Melina so much, she's like a little sister to me, my baybee. When she asked if I would direct her next music video I was over the moon.

“I worked on the video with Adam Kolodny, my Director of Photography who has shot all the Japanese Breakfast videos. It was important to me to really try to showcase Melina's infectious charm and sense of humor. There is something just so lovable about her, it was great to try to capture her in her element, surrounded by her friends. The video feels like a love letter to the bay area.

“It was also important to me to focus on all the dynamic shifts in the song. It has a huge arrangement, all instruments Melina played, and I wanted to make something that really drew attention to that. An ensemble cast, lots of color, captured in a lot of wides and lateral tracking shots really helped us amplify those dynamics and showcase our locations."