Red Jumpsuit Apparatus Reunite With ‘Face Down’ Actress on New Video 16 Years Later
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus scored their biggest hit in 2006 with "Face Down," a modern rock anthem that turned the spotlight on domestic violence. With October being Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the band has just released a new symphonic version of the single complete with a new video featuring actress Kendra Cover, who first starred in the original video.
The clip, directed by Angela Winter-Defoe, features several callbacks to the original video, even opening with a nearly identical shot of the central character entering her home from behind, eventually stopping to take stock of herself in a bathroom mirror. But unlike the original video which sought to convey the chaos of being in a violent relationship, the clip for the symphonic version finds out what happens to the original character years later, now carving out a life of her own while still finding ways to cope with the violence of her past.
Singer Ronnie Winter says, "Over the years we've gotten a lot of requests for this song, not just to play it, but to re-record it. So we finally recorded not only a new symphonic edition of 'Face Down,' but the whole album."
He adds, "With this video we specifically chose to focus on the line 'a new life she has found,' which is also my family’s experience. We definitely did not get to show that in the first video. Everything has been about that. From the casting, to the crew, to the locations, to the treatment, to the story. From the beginning we really just wanted to show how awesome things can get if you have the courage to make decisions that can be extremely painful and tough. That's what this has been about since the beginning. Not only have things worked out for the character in the video, but now she's actually learned how to help other people get through the same situation that she has, which is very important to someone like me who's in recovery because that's what we do. So, it’s about healing and how it’s hard and messy, but it happens and it’s worth working towards."
Director Angela Winter-Defoe adds, "As someone who has been through domestic violence myself, it was important for me to honor and show it justice to the people who have tied their experiences with the first video. I also wanted to show how much life could change for the good when you leave abuse. Even though years have passed, we still can be triggered, we show the character use her tools to self regulate and be able to continue on. That’s the hope and healing I wanted to spread with this video."
For Cover, the video was a chance to come full circle and it's something that is not lost on her. This video finds her in a much healthier place, now serving as a video director, surrounded by family and friends toward the end and celebrating a birthday.
"Working on this video with the band and creative team was such a pleasure. It was an incredible measure of the time that has passed and the lives that have been lived since the original song and video release. But even more so, the gorgeous symphonic return to this song and subject matter is dear to my heart," she explains. "We see all too often in the media sensational stories of abuse, but not nearly enough do we see the healing that is available and fully possible -- just how full and good life can be after trauma. I am honored to be a part of this message out into the world and the creative passion behind it."
Though the song is one of the band's biggest hits and touches directly on domestic violence, Winter reveals it's not a topic he often speaks about. "There were definitely some times during the new video shoot that I got a little emotional," says the singer. "I'm trying to balance those memories, because I thought that was all behind me. I remember showing our director Angela a picture of me on set from 17 years ago, and if you could see the photo you'd see what I'm talking about. I was literally completely full of anxiety, and also bad memories. I hadn't had any therapy, I was just out there, just a 22 year old with no tools, trying to deal with all this stuff that happened, while people are filming me, while I'm singing a song about it, and I never really even dealt with it myself. But because of the success of this song I did eventually have to get straight with myself on what did happen."
He continues, "My whole family, we worked it out, there's the good story. My mom, she's doing really well. And with the new video what I wanted to show is that our character, she later had this great life that she achieved."
Since the song's 2006 release, "Face Down" has achieved over 347 million streams on Spotify and over 120 million views of the original music video on YouTube alone.
And, much like the first time the band released the song, they are partnering with a a charity that will benefit from the new symphonic version release. The charity is DomesticShelters.org, which helps to lift the voices of domestic abuse survivors and increase the awareness of resources available to victims and their families, friends and communities. DomesticShelters.org provides the largest searchable database of domestic violence shelters and programs in the U.S. and Canada, as well as one of the most extensive sources of educational content, such as comprehensive guides, videos and articles.
Check out Red Jumpsuit Apparatus' "Face Down" (Symphonic Version) video below, featuring actress Kendra Cover, then revisit the original video right below that. The new symphonic version of the song is also available via multiple platforms here.
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, "Face Down" (Symphonic Version Video)
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, "Face Down" (Original Video)
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, resources are available for help. Visit the RAINN website (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network) or dial 800-656-HOPE (800-656-4673).