JJEROME87 releases cinematic debut video for ‘Brush Me Like A Horse’
British musician Joe Newman has unveiled the official music video for his debut solo single “Brush Me Like A Horse,” released under his new project JJEROME87.
Directed by Alex Takács, the video presents a cinematic, narrative-driven interpretation of the song, expanding on the track’s surreal and layered storytelling. Takács, a longtime collaborator of Newman, previously directed visuals for alt-Jtracks “3WW” and “DeadCrush,” and has also worked with artists including Lorde and The xx.
Described by Takács as an “acid western,” the video follows a man condemned to a public execution staged as a spectacle, sparked by Newman’s original concept of a treadmill-based execution. The director said the imagery evolved into a broader narrative world, reflecting the song’s layered metaphors in which identities blur and transform.
“Joe’s songwriting contains images nested within one another,” Takács said. “A man is accused, the accused is a horse, the horse is a mouse in a field where cats roam. The track already contained multiple voices and characters.”
The single was recorded in Los Angeles with producer Carlos De La Garza, alongside session musicians and a trio of female backing vocalists. The resulting sound blends elements of Motown, blues and gospel, giving the track a distinctly Californian influence.
Newman said the song explores themes of identity and perception through surreal transformation.
“‘Brush Me Like A Horse’ is the story of a man slowly turning into a horse,” he said. “This metamorphosis has the world around him forgetting who he is as people begin to care for him more and more like a horse. This song was inspired partly by something I’d seen a friend go through.”
Best known as the frontman of alt-J, Newman has been part of one of the most commercially and critically successful bands of the past decade. The group has topped U.K. charts, reached the Billboard Top Five and earned multiple Grammy and Brit Award nominations, while accumulating billions of streams worldwide.
With JJEROME87, Newman steps into a new creative chapter, using the solo project to explore personal influences and experiences beyond the collaborative dynamic that defined his work with alt-J.
