J Smith offers moving image of heartbreak in new video for 'I'm Sorry'

Dubliner and former lead singer of Gypsies On The Autobahn James Smith has shared the video for his first outing as J Smith, 'I'm Sorry'.

Stepping into the spotlight most recently under his 'Hot for 2021' alias YURN, his latest track features Nnic (Naoise Fitzgerald) and confirms that the talented producer/singer-songwriter's creativity has no bounds.

'I’m Sorry' was written for a friend years ago after they had broken up with their long term partner out of the blue and they felt they couldn’t deal with it. Smith received a phone call soon after from his friend, who told him of their despair.

"The song was a hand on their shoulder, to let them know that James was thinking of them, that he was trying to place himself in their shoes," the video caption reads.

"The pieces of the video started to come together, inspired by Netflix marathons of series Ozark, Shameless and The Sinner," James tells Hot Pess.

The story behind the lyrics are reflected in the poignant video. It was written for a friend who had experienced a sudden end to a relationship, but Smith stars in the video himself, alongside Laura Brady. They portray a couple who are in the midst of an intense conflict.

James has worked with director Oliver Kelly and producer Alex Lynch many times, producing videos for his side project (YURN) and former band, Gypsies on the Autobahn. The group called it quits back in March 2020, but the pair have also worked on shoots with Kean Kavanagh and Smith's brother, Kojaque. Filming at James' family home went smoothly, given that everyone involved were already well acquainted.

Although it was shot on a budget, it came with its own technical shots. In the opening scene, Laura and James begin fighting, hurling glass and plates towards James. Having foolishly purchased props from adverts and charity shops, James came away with a rather large bump on his head, despite the team's reservations before starting.

Watch the video below.