A rabbit, duck raft, and worn black clothes are all props in Richard Orofino’s video for “Rather Die.” The Brooklyn based artist released the single off his forthcoming self-produced EP Spell. Orofino has been in the singer/songwriter space since 2013, having co-written and collaborated with an array of people including Jasper Leak (Sia), Kennedy (BØRNS), and Mike Irish (X Ambassadors). After originally releasing music under the moniker Roken, he has continued to develop his artist brand and vision, tying all the strings together.

“’Rather Die’ is a love song for the end of the world and about overwhelming love. You would expect it to be a fairly dark tune by its title, but the story describes imagining a world without the person you hold closest to your heart. Being able to say you would ‘rather die’ than live in this fictional reality is super dramatic, which is kind of the point of the song. The premise screams ultra-romance to a point of it being almost silly. I felt a natural inspiration from the ‘new romantic’ genre of the 80’s, alongside some modern Indie/pop anthemic landscapes. My vision was to create a love letter that feels like you’re driving into a black hole but still filled with hope.”