Father John Misty Tackles Love, Death in ‘I Love You, Honeybear’ Video

Father John Misty‘s video for “I Love You, Honeybear” steps into heartbreaking territory, watching the lives of two couples intersect in a tragic way.

Brett Gelman and Susan Traylor star as an EMT couple, who spend their night drinking whiskey, popping pills and playing with the medical supplies in their ambulance car. While they goof off, another couple — played by Misty (Joshua Tillman), and real-life wife Emma — are sleeping peacefully as gas leaks throughout their mansion. The EMT couple arrive at the house for revival attempts, but end up too late to save one of the victims. The video ends with Gelman and Traylor returning to their home where they watch TV and eat together. 

Grant James co-directed the solemn clip with Tillman, while the singer co-wrote the story with his wife Emma. According to a statement, Tillman sees the video as “a portrayal of an average night in the lives of two EMTs.”

Tillman, formerly of Fleet Foxes, released his sophomore LP I Love You, Honeybear back in February. The follow-up to his 2012 debut Fear Fun explores love and marriage, and Emma has played a huge role in the visuals for the album. The video for track “Chateau Lobby #4 (in C For Two Virgins)” was filmed during the couple’s wedding anniversary on an iPad and features trippy images of the couple swimming and lounging.

Even the album cover art — which features an image of the Madonna holding a child with Tillman’s face on it — is meant to be a metaphor for the way he has interpreted love and marriage for himself. “I’m a baby, I’m petty and needy and jealous and greedy,” Tillman told Rolling Stone. “I’m turning this woman into a sacred object and a deity. This is what love and intimacy are manifesting as in my life!”