Dylan Doyle + Brooklyn Zeh on Their Video, “Meet Me in The City”

Dylan Doyle is one of a growing number of young Hudson Valley-based musicians now making waves on the national scene. And there will undoubtedly be more accolades coming his way with “Meet Me in the City,” the latest single from his album, Another Shade of Blue, and the atmospheric music video created for it by local filmmaker, Brooklyn Zeh.

Backstory is where INSIDE+OUT Upstate NY tells the behind-the-scenes saga about a local creative venture. Here, in this first installment, Dylan and Brooklyn describe their creative vision and how the City of Kingston came to co-star in this moody slice of musical cinema. 

INSIDE+OUT: Before we get into the video, Dylan, tell me a little bit about the song. What was the inspiration for it?

Dylan Doyle: I was trying to move to Los Angeles at the beginning of 2022 and found myself in a very lonely, confused place. The city didn’t seem to have any of the richness of the Hudson Valley or Manhattan, and the juxtaposition of wealth and abject poverty, piled on top of each other, made me feel there was no soul to the city. I would meet people — some are lifelong friends — but most I found to be superficial, plastic, and hollow. It felt like a place of broken dreams and false promises. The chorus of the song states, “Meet me in the city, where all the lonely people go.”  I meant that as the place I was in both mentally and physically. 

In the first verse, I tried to set the scene by talking about the cracked streets where flowers tried to grow, and then “In the eyes of the lost souls strung out on broken dreams, you can see history echo,” referring to all the people searching for something and losing bits of their humanity. In the second verse and bridge, I was writing about myself, feeling like I went too far, worried I couldn’t come back. Stared at the sun too long, metaphorically speaking. 

Brookly, how did the music video concept come about? Was it an idea you brought to the table, or was it a collaborative effort? Was it something you storyboarded, or did you improvise and edit it together after you had all the footage?

Brooklyn Zeh: The music video concept came about collaboratively between Dylan and me. Dylan wanted to do a video without a linear narrative, so I had to imagine something within that framework. We met and talked about his experiences in Los Angeles and compared them to my experiences in Kingston, a place where I’ve encountered both a vibrant community and isolation. We both agreed that Kingston on a weeknight or during the less touristy seasons of the year can feel a bit like a ghost town. Without a narrative to tell the story, I had to rely on cinematography to illustrate the loneliness Dylan highlights in his songwriting. The quiet and empty urban landscapes of Kingston are as integral to the video as Dylan. It is an interaction between the lonely protagonist and an environment that cannot quite give him what he’s looking for. While beautiful and tranquil, I’ve found the somnolent streets of Kingston at night to have a haunting essence. Solitude can be both liberating and suffocating at the same time. I wanted the cityscapes we captured to demonstrate both of those feelings. 

“While beautiful and tranquil, I’ve found the somnolent streets of Kingston at night to have a haunting essence. Solitude can be both liberating and suffocating at the same time. I wanted the cityscapes we captured to demonstrate both of those feelings.” – Brookyn Zeh

I storyboarded quite intensely before we shot the video. We had a very tight timeline to work with because Dylan was touring, and we initially planned to release the video within a month of the first shoot date. I knew that to meet that deadline, I would have to be highly organized. 

The first thing I did was location scout. I was living in Midtown at the time and went for walks in the morning, taking note of places that we thought conveyed the feelings we were trying to tap into. I created a very detailed shot list. I can say that almost every scene in the video was accounted for before we started shooting, except for some b-roll and scenes that we were inspired by as we went along. I listened to the song many times and let Kingston be the soil from which my imagination could take root, writing down every vision that I had and the time stamp that brought it about, no matter how stupid. After a period of intense concentration, refinement, and some feedback from Dylan, we had a very detailed shot list. I went in later and created a mood board with images I found online that were either compositionally similar or had the same vibe as the scenes I was going for. The video was meticulously planned, but I knew that, since I was taking on all the production elements myself and we had a tight timeline to work with, it needed to be that way. It worked in our favor. 

Video is a very different performance milieu than playing live. Is it something you were comfortable with, being an actor, creating a video that wasn’t just something that captured a live performance?

Dylan Doyle: I suppose anytime you’re singing a song from your past, you have to act a little, walk in those shoes again. But doing it offstage isn’t something I’m very comfortable with yet. Brooklyn is super easy to work with and has a great “don’t ask permission, just forgiveness” mentality that made me feel more at ease. In between shots, we had a lot of great laughs and meaningful conversations that made the shoot feel more like a hang with a friend. 

Kingston is the real star of the video, with locations on Front Street, the deliciously dive-y bar Snapper McGees, and the even more delicious Ollie’s Pizza. What made you choose the area and do it as a night shoot? Was there inspiration for your approach, such as a past video by an artist — say, Springsteen — that informed it?

Brooklyn Zeh: Midtown was the best location for the video because, to me, it feels the most urban of all the parts of Kingston. I wanted to stay away from more of the village-y or suburban parts of town because the song is really about being alone in a city —an environment that attracts a lot of people but can still leave you feeling isolated. Kingston on a Monday night is exactly that, with tourists having left the city after the weekend, businesses closing, and transplants in a stage of life where they want to go to bed early. It’s not the city that never sleeps. 

We ended up shooting at Snapper’s because we were actually turned away from a few bars in Midtown first. They were not so lenient toward music video productions taking place in their establishments without warning or prior approval, which was fair. Snapper’s, on the other hand, opened its doors to us and was more than accommodating in hosting the production. I was even allowed to go behind the bar to get a shot of Dylan being handed his drink. I was/am super grateful for their hospitality, and it was a moment that reminded me of the camaraderie and community that exists in small towns. 

Ollie’s has always been an inspiring “restaurant front” to me. I’ve always appreciated its very retro interior and bright lights that shine like a beacon on a dark street. It reminds me of Edward Hopper’s painting “Nighthawks“, which was the main inspiration for the scene. That painting, I would say, perfectly conveys the feeling I was trying to cultivate throughout the video. 

I struggled to find a video that was similar to what I had in mind. I think the closest I could find was “Downtown” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, although it is very different. There’s definitely a parallel appreciation for and celebration of quaint cityscapes that I was inspired by. I’m very curious which Springsteen video is comparable! I love Springsteen, and I even feel like “Meet Me in the City” sounds similar to the music he made during that time. 

Outside of music videos, I was inspired by Italian Neorealism, which relies heavily on using real locations to tell a story. I believe the word for it is “veramente.” I wanted the quiet vignettes of Kingston to tell their story in the same way that filmmakers of the Italian Neorealist movement let post-World War II Italy shape their films. The environment can sometimes say what can’t be said with words. 

As recently announced, MTV is no longer airing music videos, which were a key promotional outlet for new music for decades. So, how important is producing music videos to artists, especially for an emerging name like yourself? 

Dylan Doyle: This is a strange time to be an artist; you have to be many things to get a sliver of success. But that doesn’t mean there are no rules or set ways. I still love music videos. They give the song meaning; maybe it can’t stand on its own. Plus, it provides the artist with a chance to decide how they want to be seen and perceived visually. I think that’s important and will always be important. At the end of the day, it is still art, and that’s the best thing we have. 

As music television has receded, social media has really taken the place in breaking songs and artists. What role will distribution on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram play in the promotional effort?

Brooklyn Zeh: Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram have already drastically changed the landscape of the music industry. Artists are being asked to grab their audience’s attention in 7-15 seconds if they want to go anywhere at all. They’re now required to be psychologists, marketing experts, fashion icons, and influencers in addition to being skilled musicians. They have 7-15 seconds (probably less, given our rapidly shrinking attention spans) to create something visually stimulating —either through aesthetics or relatable lyrics —and auditorily addictive, through a tiny section of music that either triggers a dopamine release or breaks your heart. This sounds like an impossible task, something that requires an advertising psychologist or marketing analyst, because to make it as a musician today, you have to get into your audience’s head in a matter of seconds. This has changed how and why music is made. It has added a considerable time commitment to a role that was meant to be reserved for the craft of making music. And they’re being paid less for it now than ever, but that’s a conversation for another time.

“Labels have less power in deciding who’s going to make it. Magazine editors have less power. It’s the audience that decides these days, and the deciding factor is who can break into the human psyche as quickly as possible. It’s fascinating and disturbing at the same time.” – Brooklyn Zeh

On the other hand, the market is more volatile. There’s a greater chance of someone succeeding who doesn’t have prior access. Labels have less power in deciding who’s going to make it. Magazine editors have less power. It’s the audience that decides these days, and the deciding factor is who can break into the human psyche as quickly as possible. It’s fascinating and disturbing at the same time. 

As a guitar player myself, I have to ask you about the well-worn Fender Telecaster you play in the video. What’s the story behind the guitar? When did you get it?

Dylan Doyle: My pops was, and still is, one of, if not my biggest supporter. When I was really young, we would see Telecaster players like Jim Campilongo, Jim Weider, and Arlen Roth. We were constantly amazed by what they could do with such a simple instrument. In one of our many visits to Alto Music, that Telecaster was hanging all shiny, with its gold hardware. Like a dad who buys his son the best cleats for whatever sport, my dad wanted me to have the best guitar, so he helped me put it on layaway. I don’t know much about it other than its paint isn’t coming off, it’s turning a weird yellow brown, and it is one hell of an instrument. I think it was built in 2015. But yeah, thanks, Dad! 

You have worked with many local artists, including The Felice Brothers, Rachel Yamagata, and Ginger Winn, among others. What were some of the other recent music videos you have done that demonstrate the range of your style and influences?

Brooklyn Zeh: I’ve worked on quite a few music videos with Ginger Winn. Some were collaborative with directing or editing, and some I took on all the elements of production myself. With Ginger, I’ve gotten to do some entertaining, narrative-based music videos like “Averna,” which I had the incredible privilege of shooting in Italy, and more symbolic ones like “Escape,” which we worked with this astonishing wolfdog on. I shot “Coddiwomple” for Ginger Winn almost entirely on Super 8, which is a cool medium to work with. I’ve also worked on a live recording with James Felice, which we did in one take, which was very challenging. Rachael Yamagata and I have collaborated on a lyric video, with her acting as director and editor, and me shooting. Al Olender and I did a more traditional-style live recording, formatted for reels. 

Do you have anything special planned for the premiere?

Dylan Doyle: This has been an incredible year in the journey, both musically and personally. There isn’t an event around the video, but for me, it’s like the final mark of my latest album coming out, and the last arc on a song that has meant a lot to me. I’m excited to have it out and for Brooklyn and me to have our first big collaboration in the books.

Photos + Video by Brooklyn Zeh

Contributing writer Sal Cataldi is a musician, writer and former publicist living in Hudson Valley NY.

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