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#alternative #standwithukraine #indie
The concept for this video began in 2017 when I finished a demo version of the song and sent it to the great Ukrainian composer and film director Sergiy Krutsenko in Kyiv. He wrote an orchestral score and brought in the Kyiv Radio Symphony Orchestra to play it. He then invited me to Ukraine to film the video in an epic production at a former Soviet prison camp and a centurys’ old castle. The filming was both grueling and exhilarating. The story is about a dystopian society where music is banned and musicians are executed for violating the “law of silence.”
I play the role of the protagonist musician who, like a guerrilla leader, opposes the dictator while his zombified army constantly tries to stop me but I always get away at the last second. This story is not only a metaphor for the actions of authoritarian regimes around the world, such as Russia, but it foretold, in a sense, the 2022 full invasion of Ukraine and the fleeing of the targeted Russian opposition. And the lyrics of the song are the perfect power anthem for Ukraine and other global freedom movements with the chorus a defiant and unapologetic war cry toward victory–“We are the promise, we are the glory, we are the story.”
Initially, we created the video not just for the song but as a pilot for a series on cable. Unfortunately, COVID hit in 2020 before we could finish it, then the big war started in February 2022, and then my friend and mentor, Sergiy Krutsenko, died suddenly on January 6, 2023 while he was at his workstation editing the video.
So his team in Ukraine finished it and hopefully, he is pleased with the final result. We will now actively push for a cable company to fulfill Sergey’s dream to create a hard hitting film series where famous musicians can make cameo appearances with me to fight against fascism. On the anniversary of Sergiy’s death, I dedicate this video to him and to the people of Ukraine. Please share, comment, like, and spread the new free people’s power anthem–“We are the promise, we are the glory, we are the story.”
Kelsie Kimberlin – We Are The Promise (Official Video)
You get to see us coming right now we are gonna take you down cause we’re tired of your threats,
Talking your smack thinking that we’re gonna hide from you never gonna happen to us in our lifetime,
You want a revolution no way yeah you’re not gonna win cause were better than you,
We ride together and there’s millions of us gonna push back at ya till there’s nothing left of you
We say, now that, you don’t scare us, we are, gonna, stand up to you.
You cannot make us surrender.
We are the promise, we are the glory, we are the story
Everything’s alright, we’re gonna make it ok
Everything’s alright, bring on a brand new day
You better look behind ya cause ya got an army marching forward just to take you out,
All of that shootin is never gonna save you from all of us waiting when you step out the door,
We’re so sick of your tough guy talk you act like you’re invincible,
We won the revolution and now you’re running away cause there is nothing left of you
We say now that you don’t scare us, we are gonna stand up to you.
You cannot make us surrender.
We are the promise, we are the glory, we are the story
We are the promise, we are the glory, we are the story
You get to see us coming right now. We ride together and there’s millions of us
© Video Copyright January 8, 2024 by Kelsie Kimberlin ©
Audio Production
Produced and arranged by Serge (Sergiy) Krutsenko, Brett Kimberlin
Engineers Maksym Hladetskyy, Steve Sachse
Sound Design Maksym Hladetskyy
Mixed by Liam Nolan
Mastered by Greg Calbi/Steve Fallone
Orchestra Score Serge (Sergiy) Krutsenko
Strings Kyiv Radio Symphony Orchestra
Orchestra Conductor Yevhen Braha
Guitars Vitaly Rustamov and Danny Leonard
Bass Erika Slobodenuak
Drums Alexandr Tregub
Keyboards Serge (Sergiy) Krutsenko
Male Vocals Larry Friedman, Steve Sachse, Brett Kimberlin
Production Director Andrii Samerkhanov
Video Production
Director Serge (Sergiy) Krutsenko
Producer Andrii Samerkhanov
Executive producer Andrii Voloshyn
DOP Oleksandr Naumenko
Cameramen Oleksii Liebedew
Cameramen Oleksii Baranov
Steadycam Volodymyr Oliynyk
Designer Anna Bondarenko
Designer Olena Kozhuhivska
Makeup artist Oksana Iarmosh
Makeup artist Ilona Malakhova
Makeup artist Tatyana Markova
Art director Viktor Dontsov
Color grading Volodymyr Morozov
Actors Oleksandr Zhukovin and Hanna Lev
