Kitty Coen: Illinois Royalty Video

Apparently Illinois has unusually high levels of nepotism in its politics, or something. I have no idea about that, but I do know that Illinois Royalty was one of the first songs I heard from Conversations with the Moon, Kitty Coen’s second full album. It is fitting therefore that it has today become the final video before she turns her attention (and ours!) to her third album.

Soft country boy, illinois royalty
Banging on the drums and moving to the beat
You play me like a fiddle, hope you like the tune
’Cos now I’m all wrapped up in you

I have noted previously how much energy Kitty Coen puts into her videos. Just when you thought you knew a song… I imagined a sailor racing his pickup truck around town, full of girls as he makes the most of some brief shore leave. Well, that’s still valid. But the video is completely different in its own brilliant way.

I spent a week in France flopping around in 100 degree heat next to a cornfield. There is something uniquely terrifying about cornfields. You can’t run through them, especially if a vampire is chasing after you. It says the South. It says horror, maybe True Blood and Sookie Stackhouse. It says… imminent death. What it has never said to me until today is… blood-soaked cheerleader, or bride of Dracula.

He’s lucky like an 8 ball
Holy like Saint Paul
And sweet like sugar cane
Stoned but kinda funny
Cute but kinda bummy
He knows I like it that way

That’s my favourite verse… cute but kinda bummy? I think I know exactly what she means, and it’s hilarious too. Coming back to the video, Kitty specialises in a sort of David Lynch blank look but in this video, in her cheerleader fit, she brings her bubbly smile too. And just when you think she’s genuinely laughing, it glazes over. Blank looks are scary but not as scary as fixed grins. This is a truly terrifying three minutes if you watch it on a big TV at full volume in the dark. Promise me you will do that.

If this is the last piece of action from Conversations with the Moon, I’m okay with that. First of all, the video ends with a ‘to be continued…’ and I believe the next song will be Psycho From Texas, which surely means the horror will return.

If you want to do some homework, the song title is borrowed from the 1975 B-movie starring someone called John King III. The film has a complex back story… was it re-filmed in 1978? Are there two versions? And who is the scream queen Linnea Quigley? Excuse me, I am running out to grab the Betamax from Blockbuster to try and answer all these quesions before the song itself comes out later this year. You can presave the song here!

I have written about Kitty’s videos before and you can find the best bits, with a couple of Q&A interviews, down at the bottom. You can start here to begin your Kitty Coen enchantment. Her Insta is here and the videos are here. Join her mailing list here.