Today’s exclusive film was sent to us by Ryan McGinley, the lauded artist-photographer whose heady visuals of cavorting teens (awash with atmospheric blurs, lens flares and flashes of light) have made him one of the most in-demand image-makers of the past decade. Earlier this year we were thrilled to premiere his film Entrance Romance (It Felt Like a Kiss), so imagine our excitement when we were presented with this intimate portrait of Smith Westerns and Girls—two of America’s most buzzed-about bands—at this year’s Pitchfork festival. Brimming over with enthusiasm, McGinley even penned a verbal tribute to his sonic muses:
“Smith Westerns and Girls are two of my favorite bands right now. I first saw Smith Westerns play at this restaurant in a weird little mall in Chinatown, and there were only about five people there. I liked how their hair was always covering their eyes and you could barely see their faces. They were so cute; it was almost like watching a high school band. Smith Westerns went on tour with a band called Girls who I immediately fell in love with, so much so that I sent the singer-songwriter Chris Owens my last photography book along with a fan letter. They covered their entire stage with flowers––I loved that. Their song “Solitude” speaks to me more than any other song I can think of right now. I caught up with both bands at the Pitchfork festival to document their performances and be a fly on the wall the whole weekend. That’s pretty much my idea of a perfect vacation. And it was."