To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Talking Heads’ first live performance, the legendary rock band have finally released a music video for “Psycho Killer,” starring none other than Saoirse Ronan.
While the track originally debuted in 1977, Talking Heads teamed up with C’mon C’mon director Mike Mills to celebrate their live debut at CBGB on June 5, 1975. In the video, Ronan portrays a woman “unraveling while stuck in her daily routine.”
The music video incorporates very few contrasting shots as the Oscar nominee alternates between the bedroom, kitchen, office and car, grabbling with her an array of emotions.
“This video makes the song better,” Talking Heads said in a statement. “We LOVE what this video is NOT — it’s not literal, creepy, bloody, physically violent or obvious.”
“Psycho Killer” was released as part of the Grammy nominated band’s first album, Talking Heads: 77, and is one of their most beloved hits, certified double-platinum earlier this year. The track is included in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s list of 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.
“This album literally changed what was possible in life for me, so to get to play with the subversive, uncategorizable beauty of Talking Heads, and to play with Saoirse who brought so much surprise, power, vulnerability and mischief to the party, it’s one of the best things I ever got to be a part of — still can’t believe it actually happened,” Mills said in a statement.
The Little Women star, too, shared her admiration for Talking Heads in a statement, saying that “I have grown up listening to their music, so this truly is a childhood/teenage/lifelong dream come true.”
“To simply be mentioned in the same breath as Talking Heads is hands down one of the coolest things that has ever happened to me, let alone making a video with the singular Mike Mills to accompany one of their most iconic songs — ‘Psycho Killer,’” Ronan said. “Mike, myself and the rest of the creative team had so much fun making this, and I can’t wait for Talking Heads fans to see it!”
