Phish‘s anthemic 2016 tune “More,” from their most recent release, Big Boat, illustrates a clear perspective on the uncertain, hostile, violent times in which we live: “There must be something more than this.” Written by Trey Anastasio on the shores of Tortola in the British virgin islands while contemplating the ongoing social and political upheaval occurring on the mainland, the song takes an almost defiant stance against any and all forces of darkness that may try to subvert the ever-present positivity and light in this world: “Vibrating with love and light/ Pulsating with love and light/ In a world gone mad, world gone mad/ There must be something more than this.”
After hearing Phish perform the song last Fall in Las Vegas, filmmaker/fan Kelly D. Morris put together an unofficial “music video” for the uplifting tune. The montage combines footage of various menacing, unsettling events of 2016–from police violence toward minorities, to the Dakota Access Pipeline police standoffs, to assaults on the rights of LGBTQ people–with images and footage depicting love, kindness and, of course, Phish.
The video made a splash on social media, where “The More Project” and its powerful visual message went viral in the music community. As Morris explains via phish.net’s official song history page for “More” (which she authored in the wake of her video’s success): “There is no darkness so dense, so menacing, or so difficult that it cannot be overcome by light. ‘More’ isn’t about despair. It’s about turning the corner from that place, and embracing love, light, and humanity… In ‘More,’ I hear an earnest anthem about taking personal inspiration and turning it outward like a light in the darkness. When life is at its most difficult, there is beauty that transcends the madness. By connecting to each other, and by letting our spirits rise even when our hearts are heavy, we can ride out any storm together in this big boat. The video is intended, and hopefully received, as a reflection of that message.”
In the months since the video’s release, Morris has used the video as a platform to inspire public involvement and support for a variety of humanitarian issues, including relief efforts for the recent string of Hurricanes to hit the Southeast U.S. and its surrounding islands, for which Anastasio has recently set up a relief fund.
Watch “The More Project,” video for Phish’s “More” via filmmaker Kelly D. Morris‘s YouTube page below:
For more information about “The More Project,” head here.