The Jesus And Mary Chain — April Skies

JUL 01 1987 · 12:00

The Jesus And Mary Chain — April Skies (1987) Director: Tim Broad Era: UK Post-Punk / Alternative Rock Ascendancy (1987) - Mid-period transitional moment between noise-guitar abrasion and melodic alternative rock, anchored by the Darklands album cycle and the band's commercial breakthrough on Blanco y Negro/WEA. High curatorial value as a confirmed 1987 promo video by Tim Broad, a significant and under-documented British music video director who died prematurely in 1993. The video captures the band at a commercially and artistically transitional moment and exemplifies the lo-fi film aesthetic of UK indie promo production. Combined with strong chart performance and cultural resonance, this is a Tier 1 archival artifact for any study of 1980s British alternative music and visual culture. Context: Released in April 1987, 'April Skies' marked a pivotal commercial and aesthetic pivot for The Jesus and Mary Chain — away from the pure noise-wall assault of Psychocandy (1985) toward a more melodic, song-centric sound. The single reached No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart, the band's highest charting UK single at that time, signaling the mainstreaming of indie-rock in post-Thatcher Britain. The video, directed by Tim Broad — a key figure in British indie video culture through his concurrent work with The Smiths and Morrissey — reflects the visual grammar of the period: low-budget, film-originated, performance-anchored promos that prioritized atmosphere over narrative spectacle. The dark, warm-toned visual palette aligns with the broader aesthetic of the Blanco y Negro roster and the UK independent music scene of 1987. Director notes: Confirmed as director of the 'April Skies' music video (1987) by both IMDb (imdb.com/title/tt30842783/) and IMVDb (imvdb.com/video/the-jesus-and-mary-chain/april-skies). The video was released in 1987 to accompany the single from the Darklands album on Blanco y Negro/WEA Records. Broad was an active director of British indie and alternative music videos throughout the mid-to-late 1980s, with a recognizable aesthetic rooted in intimate, low-key cinematography and empathetic artist portraiture. His stated approach was to build the image the artist wanted through empathy rather than pretension.