RedTouchBlack’s music video for “Snow Girl” is full of quiet determination

South Pilly’s RedTouchBlack released their latest single, “Snow Girl,” back in September. Now it’s getting a music video, in the form of a touching tribute to the passing of Edward B. Gieda III’s wife, Amanda. Gieda is the frontman of another Philly hard rock band, An Albatross, in addition to a longtime DJ at The Barbary.

“Snow Girl” is a fuzzy, psychedelic rock track, approaching shoegaze levels of noise, that pulls together all the influences RedTouchBlack has displayed so far. The track primarily deals with coming to terms with yourself after the loss of a loved one, with lead singer Adam Greer opening the track by singing “Look / How far I’ve come,” over thundering guitars. The new music video certainly lends an extra dimension to the track.

In an interview with Philadelphia Magazine, Gieda details the tragic loss of his wife in June of 2019. Following a grief-stricken depressive episode, Gieda turned to running, a passion he had fostered with his wife’s love and support throughout their relationship. “After three days of not being able to eat, drink, sleep, or shower, I looked at my running shoes and thought, ‘Just put them on and get out of the house.’ They symbolized a normalcy, a means of reclaiming the iota of familiarity I had left in my existence,” wrote Gieda in the piece.

Throughout the music video for “Snow Girl,” Gieda can be seen running throughout Philly. He passes some familiar landmarks, some pedestrians, and some cars, and when he does stop, he catches his breath, and with a solemn determination, keeps going. All the while, RedTouchBlack’s guitars crash in the distance, propelling him forward. The final shot of the video shows Gieda triumphantly striding into the sun, a powerful visual reminder that grief can feel all-encompassing, but we have the strength to overcome it.

Check out the music video for RedTouchBlack’s “Snow Girl,” featuring Edward B. Gieda III, below. The video is directed by Bob Sweeney.