ROLE MODEL Finds His Way Home in “a little more time”
It’s been a big week for people who love love a.k.a. it’s been a big week for people like me. Call me a hopeless romantic, but I just find the idea of people making cards and buying flowers and celebrating their mutual adoration for one another to be one of the sweetest things. It might be well past February 14, but Valentine’s Day isn’t quite over yet. In the spirit of ROLE MODEL’s and Emma Chamberlain’s GQ Cover Story, the singer-songwriter has released his first single of the year, “a little more time.” The tune comes hand in hand with a music video filmed and edited by none other than his girlfriend, Emma Chamberlain. (I think ROLE MODEL and Emma win for the world's most perfect hard launch.)
Last year, ROLE MODEL’s debut album Rx served as a testament to the artist’s capabilities as a producer and songwriter. From the hip-hop production and wordplay on "neverletyougo" to writing a literal song about masturbation, ROLE MODEL does not shy away when it comes to making music as his most authentic, vulnerable, and unfiltered self. ROLE MODEL isn’t afraid to say what’s on his mind, and “a little more time” is no exception to the matter.
Regardless of whether or not you are in a relationship, “a little more time” is a song for those who have moved out of their hometown and can’t help but feel homesick from time to time. ROLE MODEL, who moved from Portland, Maine to Los Angeles, dreams of the East Coast—craving a rain shower, two-hour drive upstate, sunflowers—until he ultimately concludes that all he really needs is more time with his special someone to escape the blues. The first verse captures this conflicting sense of longing and loving, as he sings, “In a city with no seasons, in a house that's not a home, honey you're the only reason, I don't quite feel alone.”
“a little more time” feels like a stripped-down, slowed-down take on ROLE MODEL’s typical upbeat, D.I.Y. bedroom-pop production style, driving the melody with acoustic guitars and mellow synthesizers. The instrumentals reflect the track’s idea of feeling stagnant in life, while the sincerity of the vocals demonstrate just how lucky ROLE MODEL feels to have found his person in a place he doesn’t call home.
The sad-but-happy love song comes with a music video directed by ROLE MODEL—a.k.a. Tucker Pillsbury—and Emma Chamberlain. Filmed and edited by Emma, the visuals take the form of a home video, filmed on a retro DV camcorder, emphasizing the sense of nostalgia for the past in the song. We watch as Tucker sings and plays guitar all over Southern California, from his empty bedroom, to his sunny poolside backyard, all the way to the middle of the empty desert. While we never see Emma on screen, we can tell she’s behind the camera; in fact, Tucker and Emma are the only two people in all of the places they filmed in, and their chemistry only makes the video feel all the more special to watch.
Although ROLE MODEL’s relationship isn’t necessarily new, it feels like an exciting door has been opened for him and his artistry. He’s officially got his heart on his sleeve, and it isn’t coming off any time soon.
Watch the music video for “a little more time” below:
