Singled Out: Touching's Caught In The Middle

Keavin Wiggins | 09-27-2021

Touching (singer-songwriter/producer Michael Falk) just released a music video for his new single "Caught In The Middle" (from his forthcoming 'littleworlds' EP) and to celebrate we asked him tell us about the track. Here is the story:

I thought my wife and I were going to have a daughter. We did not. And then I never really felt like changing the first line of this song - thinking that it could be a song for the daughter we never had. This is one of a couple songs on littleworlds exploring some of the fears, best intentions, wonder, and hopes that come along with expecting a child.

You want your kid to grow up confident in themselves, in their own personhood. You know they're going to face struggles, and before you've even met them you're pledging to have their back, that you'll invest yourself meaningfully in that relationship with them.

This is the 2nd in our little trilogy of videos set around a boxing ring. While the song was written before becoming a father, this video has been made now having a few years of papa-hood under my belt. I wanted to tell a story about the "rupture and repair" that enables trust and relationships, like muscles, to grow. Kids push their parents away, and pull them close. Emotions can run hot, and children are the ultimate truth-tellers. It's humbling and beautiful. Sometimes parents have to grin and take it - the shot of Christa gritting her teeth while Sophie punches her stomach feels like a pretty universal lived experience and gets me every time.

It was my first time working with a child actor ... and well, these videos are my first time directing, period. And I imagine I probably should've prepped better for the child's energy and attention to fluctuate more than an adult's - you'd think I would've connected the dots having now been a dad for a few years... but we got there and I'm really glad we could have an actual mom and daughter in the roles.

Early in the video there's a shot of Christa + Sophie slowly raising their head. It's subtle, but it's a direct reference to AG Rojas' video for Florence + The Machine's Hunger. A little nod to the inspiration for our aesthetic on these videos.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen and watch for yourself below and learn more about the EP here