Songs of Surrender

40 Songs, 40 Creators

SONGS 1-10 | SONGS 11-20 | SONGS 21-30 | SONGS 31-40 | SONGS 41-UP

40 songs re-recorded by us, re-imagined by you.

21. Luis G Santos | Out Of Control - Songs of Surrender

Posted: 15 Mar 2003

Luis G Santos was born and raised in the Bronx, NY to a businessman Father and a white-collar worker Mother who’s a closeted writer. As a child, Luis observed his father’s strong business acumen by day & snuck around the house to find his mother’s beautiful-yet-hidden writings at night. This juxtaposition is what sparked Luis’ obsession with developing a strong business sense while consistently fostering his never-ending dedication to perfecting his artistic craft. While writing & directing his own short films in hopes of developing projects for TV & FILM, Luis climbed the corporate ladder - starting an internship at 72&sunny and later producing at Mother NY, McCann, & VEVO. This collection of experiences has helped Luis attain a deep understanding of how to excel as a director, writer, and producer in Film, TV, & Commercial productions while also enabling him to properly understand the corporate structure firsthand.

Luis has also carved a lane for himself in the Music & Live entertainment spaces, directing live work for artists such as Future, Arcangel, Jessie Reyes, Pusha T, Latto, & many more.

"The song really inspired me creatively when working on the concept for this film. For me it was all about finding those moments in our lives throughout different ages where we feel like life is not in our control, and also portraying different ways in which we as humans try to fight back and grasp for control of our lives when we feel ourselves losing it."

"U2's attention to detail and lyricism have always inspired me. When speaking about this song in specific, it's a strong case study for understanding how to create timeless art that resonates years later. With my work, I'm always interested in answering the question "what does it mean to be human?" & I love that U2's work seems to be looking to answer the same question within the musical artform."

Find out more about Luis G Santos:
https://www.directedbyluis.com/
https://www.instagram.com/lsgjr/

22. Daniel Kaufman | Every Breaking Wave - Songs Of Surrender

Posted: 16 March 2023

Daniel comes from a long line of Jewish American nomadic artists, and he continues to build on this tradition. Bridging a documentary background with cinematic storytelling, his work searches out home, humanity, and mystery wherever he focuses his lens: ranging from work with the Decemberists and Jay Z, to his most recent documentary about the fight over the world’s largest Confederate monument, Stone Mountain. His previous films and commercials have been nominated for a Cannes Lion, two Emmys, and played at SXSW and Tribeca Film Festivals.

"How do you break free from a part of your past? How do you bring about transformation? I’ve been thinking a lot about these questions on the brutal days of winter in upstate New York. The sun was setting every day at three. Mist would come and hang in the gully by my house. Sometimes I’d walk 20 feet from my back door and get lost."

"The idea with the video was to collaborate with a cinematographer, dancer and choreographer to create something ritualistic--to embody this feeling and to shake it. The piece aims to honor the moments when we get lost and the will to live that gets us through them."

"U2 is my sister’s favorite band. As a result, I know most of their lyrics through sibling osmosis."

Find out more about Daniel Kaufman:
https://www.instagram.com/itsdanielkaufman/

23. Christina Bryson | Until The End Of The World - Songs Of Surrender

Posted: March 16, 2023

Christina Bryson, known by the moniker Average Cowgirl, is an LA based director/photographer specializing in analog video. The inspiration from the piece came from studying U2's work from the early 90s.

"I was especially inspired by their visuals from this era and took note of their love of Wim Wenders (one of my favorite directors!). I naturally am drawn to visuals from this decade and video glitch art in general so wanted to reimagine a video for their new version of "Until the End of the World". I grew up listening to U2 with my dad so this band always brings up good memories for me. Honoured to have contributed to this project."

Find out more about Christina Bryson:
https://www.instagram.com/averagecowgirl/?hl=en
https://averagecowgirl.com

24. Madelaine Turner | Invisible - Songs Of Surrender

Posted: March 17, 2023

A Long Beach, CA native, Madelaine Turner is a screenwriter, director, and social content creator who describes her tone as “high brow adolescence meets feminine sensibility"

"Heartache is messy. There is a part of yourself that is suddenly stripped away, unseen... invisible. I felt this song really speaks to the yearning for that part of you to return- thinking that it'll come in the form of whoever (whatever) broke your heart and the journey towards healing. You don't need another person to feel whole. The person you really miss is yourself."

25. Cooper Roussel and Laura Gorun | Pride - Songs Of Surrender

Posted: March 17, 2023

We (Cooper Roussel and Laura Gorun) are L.A.-based directors. On specific projects, we work with a third partner, Dimitri Basil. We are transitioning into directing a feature film. The goal is to make movies and have adventures until we turn to dust.

"Considering a compilation of hit songs from a generational and legendary band, like U2’s “Songs of Surrender,” you immediately get hit by a wave of nostalgia. You start to remember the first time you heard these songs, and rather than just listening to the music, they become soundtracks to the specific moments you experienced them. For me (Cooper), the first time I heard U2’s song, “Pride” -I was 11 and my slightly older brother and I blasted it on repeat, running back and forth across our small apartment jumping and toppling over every piece of furniture. It's a vivid memory, one that’s stuck with me for 20 years. For this project, we decided to reach out to fans and ask them about memories that U2's influential song, "Pride," conjured up inside them. From road trips to daily commutes, lounging with loved ones to solitary sky-gazing, unique objects to animal encounters: this video is a montage of memories, and a depiction of moments that have a moving and meaningful connection to one of U2s most iconic songs."

26. Misfit Minds | Two Hearts Beat As One - Songs Of Surrender

Posted: March 17, 2023

Misfit Minds are an Australian YouTube comedy group, with a drive and passion for making videos that make people laugh, whether it be with an original prank or through their hilarious personalities.

"The inspiration behind the piece is to give a random stranger an experience they’ll never forget and express that any positive interaction can lead to a brighter outlook on life.

We all grew up listening to U2 as our parents are all really big fans, which has influenced us all to become fans as well."

27. Zachary Bailey | I Will Follow - Songs Of Surrender

Posted: 20 Mar 2023

Zachary Bailey is an LA based filmmaker originally from Clarksville, MD. He explores themes of nostalgia, dark humor, warped realities and the beauty within it all.

"The driving inspiration for the piece was the feeling of discovering your favorite song for the first time. I wanted to imagine a kid coming across U2’s music for the first time blasting "I will follow" in his headphones. I would film videos as a kid on my vhs-c camcorder and add in-camera effects to make little movies, so I felt this to be a fitting scenario to build the story within. “I will follow” for me is about bursting with excitement to share that feeling with anyone and everyone. Since it is a song re-imagined, we set it in an ambiguous mix of modern day and the past. We had our actor (Marloe Delgadillo) watch the original music video for the song from 1980 and mimic Bono’s dance moves. He records himself and leaves the tape in a tree as a love letter to whoever comes across it (The band, his crush, a stranger..etc). It's a declaration to follow (whatever that is for you) to the end of the world and back."

"Both me and my creative partner who worked on the piece (Louis Celano) have had a connection to U2 since a young age. I remember telling my mother who loves U2 and hearing her excitement as well. Louis added the orange-tinted sky effect in post-production because he remembered liking it in their original music video for the song Gloria from 1981. Our cinematographer (Daniel Agre) shared the connection and can recall U2 playing in his house as a kid. Of the 40 songs re-imagined this was my favorite track which made it that much sweeter. Excited to hear and watch the rest as they release."

Find out more about Zachary Bailey:
https://www.instagram.com/bros_n_cons/
https://zacharybailey.xyz/

28. Alex Chaloff | Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses - Songs Of Surrender

Posted: 21 Mar 2023

Alex Chaloff is a director and cinematographer based in Nashville, TN. He has worked with some of the most respected names in music including Sheryl Crow, Carrie Underwood, Dolly Parton, Chris Stapleton, Jeff Beck, Billie Eilish, Brian Wilson, Miley Cyrus, John Legend, and H.E.R.

Alex has directed major commercial campaigns for brands such as Fender, Spotify, Jared, Rolling Stone, Paramount, Volvo and Google. With viewership in the hundreds of millions, his work has been featured on ABC, AppleTV, Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, Good Morning America, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Tonight Show, and The Late Show.

"I wanted to see how much of a story I could communicate with just a compelling, dialog free performance in a single locked off shot. Our actress, @matishaw, was able to capture the essence of the song's free spirited protagonist, giving the viewer a glimpse of her complicated life."

"U2 has been a constant source of inspiration for me and their music has been a soundtrack to my life. It is a profound honor for me to get to create a visual for such an iconic band."

Find out more about Alex Chaloff:
https://www.instagram.com/achaloff/
https://www.instagram.com/bucketsmovingco/
https://www.bucketsmovingcompany.com

29. Sam McKnight | Peace On Earth - Songs Of Surrender

Posted: 21 Mar 2023

Born and raised in Kaiserslautern, Germany, Samuel McKnight grew up as a military brat in Lawton, Oklahoma. At an early age of nine, Samuel started recording music videos on his VCR and developed a strong passion for the world of music videos. Every summer, Samuel would travel to Mississippi with his dad listening to music while visualizing moving images. It was on these road trips where his passion continued to develop towards an ability to tell musically driven stories in a unique fashion. When his military career ended in 2013, Samuel attended the New York Film Academy and has since found his home directing music videos and shooting photos in Los Angeles.

Find out more about Sam McKnight:
https://www.instagram.com/samjmcknight/
https://sammcknightfilms.com/

30. Sasha Lebedeva | Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own - Songs Of Surrender

Posted: 22 Mar 2023

Director & writer based in Los Angeles, CA.

"In 2017, I moved to LA from Moscow and four years later received a Bachelor’s degree in screenwriting. After cold emailing my way into professional directing, I started making music videos right after college."

"As a filmmaker, I am attracted to dreamlike surreal visuals. Trying to nail the intricate art of dark comedy, my goal is to masterfully mix the sublime and the ridiculous."

Find out more about Sasha Lebedeva:
https://www.instagram.com/lllsasha/
https://sl.baby

SONGS 1-10 | SONGS 11-20 | SONGS 21-30 | SONGS 31-40 | SONGS 41-UP