Manchester Orchestra has revealed “The Way,” the lead single and latest look into its reinvigorating new album and breathtaking film.
Out digitally this Friday, March 10, with a physical release set for April 7, The Valley of Vision is a record rooted in the higher powers of resilience, rebirth ,and self-redemption. After a prolonged period of grief and trauma that permeated the band’s previous LP and past several years together, songs like “The Way” illustrate the journey of losing one’s mind and finding it again.
Like all songs on The Valley of Vision, “The Way” will be accompanied by a captivating cinematic experience, presented in the groundbreaking format of 180-degree, 3D virtual reality. Directed by Isaac Deitz – who shot the film over a solitary, year-long journey through snow storms in the Rocky Mountains, dark nights in the deep woods of Wyoming, creek beds in Manchester Orchestra’s native Georgia, and climates both scorching and freezing – the visual mirrors and enhances the album’s overarching themes of life and death, change and growth, forgiving oneself and letting go.
“Experiencing the film in its intended 180-degree, 3D VR format feels like downloading a dream into your head,” says Deitz. “Each symbol represents a different experience nested in our internal worlds; it’s up to you whether you want to just enjoy them, or try to interpret what the dream means.”
On the heels of four sold-out screening events in Los Angeles and New York City in recent weeks, Manchester Orchestra and Consequence will present The Valley of Vision’s global premiere on their YouTube channel this Thursday, March 9. Beginning at 7:45pm EST, the livestream of the full project will also include the first-ever After Party that YouTube Music has ever done for a film premiere, where band members and co-producers Andy Hull and Robert McDowell will be joined by Isaac Deitz to discuss the making of The Valley of Vision, in addition to answering questions from fans (VR headsets recommended for the optimal experience).
The Valley of Vision will also screen during SXSW, at The Carpenter Hotel’s Quonset Hut on Thursday, March 16 (12-4pm), and two sold-out shows at London’s Union Chapel on May 13-14, following the band’s hometown return to Atlanta’s Shaky Knees on May 5th.
