Party Nails Releases Surreal, Synth-Drenched Music Video for “Trigger Warning”

Party Nails, the artist, producer, and self-made music machine taking the indie pop scene by storm, has returned with a new video that is as emotionally intense as it is visually intoxicating.

Directed by Elinor Howells, the music video for her already-renowned track “Trigger Warning” plays out like a dream you’re not sure you were supposed to see: surreal landscapes melt into closeups, VHS-toned footage washes every frame in nostalgia, and through it all, Party Nails sings of survival, community, and the painful beauty of transformation.

“I loved Elinor Howells’ work on Boy Phase’s ‘Small Talk‘ music video (a song I recorded and mixed last year) and jumped at the opportunity to work with her,” said Party Nails. “With Quinn Thomashow as DP and Estrello Lo on mixed media and editing, Elinor masterfully infused the gritty street art of eastern Los Angeles with Estrello’s dreamy flowers and textures to create a dream-like world.”

Speaking on the video’s story, Party Nails told us that “we wanted to have the damsel character move from a chaotic state of running and fear and confusion, to one of beauty, connection and joy. Our damsel is rescued by my real-life friends, Fake Dad (check out their music!), queer angels who bring her to a nightclub in Heaven. Together they dance, surrounded by love and freedom of expression.”

A noir-electropop cut off her third album “Pillow Talk” (out via Eye Knee Records), “Trigger Warning” channels synthwave in the key of heartbreak. Think “Nightcall”-era Kavinsky meets The Weeknd & Chromatics, all underscored by Party Nails’ lyrical duality: grief and resilience, devastation and hope, in the same breath. Taking inspiration from a past abusive relationship, the artist provides a message of hope amidst pain through an accessible piece of music.

The story behind Party Nails is just as compelling. Born Elana Carroll in Chatham, NY, she went from an open-mic hunting tween, to a tech-loving Garageband prodigy, to a blog star in 2015. Since then, she’s toured with PVRIS and Lights, scored TV placements on The L Word and Pretty Little Liars, written feminist anthems for Central Park, and collaborated with artists like Deap Vally and Urban Heat. She’s also lended her vocals to many top artists in the dance music space, like MitiS & Getter, and a prolific producer and engineer outside of her artist project, having recently produced Jordan Duffy’s newest record.

But “Trigger Warning” is something entirely different than what we’re used to from Party Nails. It’s a deeply personal & cinematic message from the messy, confusing middle of healing. It invites you to feel hope, even if your heart’s been broken. And, the new music video only adds to that complex feeling. Now, you can step inside the VHS-colored, synth-soaked world of one of indie pop’s most quietly daring voices.

Watch the “Trigger Warning” video here.