I ENJOY MUSIC VIDEO PREMIERE: Krissanthemum - "It's Behind Me, Now It's Gone"
OOOO we have something exciting on the site today—that's right—I Enjoy Music is proud to introduce a new tune and music video from Krissanthemum. You might remember Krissanthemum (aka Krissy Lassiter) from the world famous I Enjoy Music (Stoned) series where I interviewed stoner musicians about weed and music:
Molly Mary O’Brien
Since then, Lassiter has recorded (and self-produced) her first studio album, The Band Sounded Tight and the Timing Was Right, and the first single for that album, "It's Behind Me, Now It's Gone," is out right now on this very website (and of course on I Enjoy Music Videos). A bit more on it after the ol' YouTube embed but first: its music video, shot on film and directed by Astrid Dong, right here:
The backstory of the album comes from Lassiter's prolonged health struggles—the songs "emerged during years of unmanaged, debilitating menstrual illness" that culminated in a hysterectomy. You might expect such a fraught experience to inspire music on the darker side, but Lassiter's specialty is actually making beautiful and joyful music, music that emanates a positivity so powerful that it simply won't let despair take over. "It's Behind Me, Now It's Gone" is a sweet, retro, radiant psych-rock song that celebrates the ability to move forward after so much time spent in pain—the multilayered harmonies in the chorus are so bright, listening to them kind of feels like staring at the sun, only instead of burning your retinas out, you start hallucinating rainbow dolphins and hearts, Lisa Frank-style.
I got to ask Lassiter and Dong some questions about the making of the video for "It's Behind Me, Now It's Gone," which features a giant version of a classic board game, a glamorous beach freakout, and lots of cinematic running (best kind of running). Let's get into it...
[Molly Mary O'Brien] How did the general concept for the video come together? Was anything in particular on the moodboard?
Astrid: The concept of the video came from discussions with Krissy and I about our shared love of surrealist movies and also about the relationship between our bodies and art-making! We pulled a lot of stills from Daisies, filmmakers like Chantal Akerman and Maya Deren. I was also inspired by performance artist Ana Mendieta’s earth-art and body-art.
Krissy: When I reached out to Astrid to see if they’d like to direct a music video for this project, I sent the whole album over and asked them to select any track. I was so excited when they picked "It’s Behind Me…", I had my fingers crossed for that one to be their choice.
As a listener, the song always provoked visualizations of cinematic running sequences and made me want to run to it in real life. The timing of the video shoot was particularly special, as it was at a point in my surgery recovery period where I was physically able to run for the first time in a long time.
While I originally wrote and recorded the song while reflecting on being trapped in a cyclical health issue, I have since entered a new era of permanent healing. Because of this, the song has taken on a much more conclusive meaning for me. Running on the beach was my one specific request for the video, and I am so grateful for how Astrid took that concept and developed it given the context of my journey.
Here’s the moodboard they came up with:
What was the shoot like? Did everything go to a particular plan, or was there improvisation? Any good behind the scenes stories?
Astrid: The shoot was very fun, all friends getting together and finding interesting spaces where we could! We knew what feeling we wanted to convey in each space, but a lot of the choreography was improvised.
Krissy: I was so impressed, inspired, and appreciative of the professionalism and preparation Astrid and their team brought to the project. I put a lot of time and attention to detail into my music, so finding a crew that naturally brought the same level of excitement, care, and craftsmanship, while also working hard to make the vision look as good as possible, was the best-case scenario. Everyone genuinely seemed happy to be there and excited to be making something together.
Astrid came in with a clear plan that ran smoothly, Casey [Purtell] brought the coolest setup with the tent and gloves to handle the film with so much precision and care, and Maggie [O'Malley] consistently spoke up, took initiative, and found creative ways to get the shot while working within the limitations of the film hardware.
One thing that didn’t go according to plan was it being unexpectedly freezing and wet that day. But Anza [Keller]'s "let’s go" attitude and completely fearless performance, including rolling around in the sand on the beach (which she volunteered to do not once, but twice), was honestly one of the most punk and inspiring parts of the entire production. Her willingness to fully commit to the moment and go there for the art really rocked me.
Building the cardboard life-size operation board was also a very improvisational project of gathering and creating materials in a short amount of time before the shoot! I still have a giant roll of leftover yellow paper that I need to donate to Materials for the Arts because I definitely overestimated how much I’d need.
How about locations—where'd you shoot? And how'd you find such an interesting empty space / beach to shoot in?
Astrid: A majority of it was shot in my apartment, my friend’s studio, and at Jacob Riis beach in the winter. The fog was unexpected but so haunting and perfect that day.
Astrid—it's so special that this video is shot on film. How does that format affect the way you get a video done? Why was it important to capture the images in this way?
Astrid: It was important to us to work with film to honor the record’s relationship with physical media! Working with a 16mm Bolex camera gave us fun restrictions to play around with. There was only so much we could record which forced us to take decisive risks. Ultimately those risks paid off— I think the format burned-in a freewheeling and frenetic feeling into the image.
And Krissy—this song relates to something so intensely personal, but the sentiment of "I feel so much better / Now that it's gone" also feels universal, like it could apply to a wide variety of situations. Do you feel like the video threads this needle in any particular way? How do you feel about the relationship between the video and the song?
Krissy: "It’s Behind Me, Now It’s Gone" is actually a lyric from Animal Collective’s song "Fireworks" that I was taking out of context and applying to my own personal experience, which is also what I hope listeners can do with my song. Even though the origin is very specific to me, that feeling of relief, release, and realizing you’re finally moving forward is something that can apply to so many different situations.
The video explores that same idea by taking direct inspiration from the lyrics while leaving space for interpretation. Astrid found ways to translate those emotions into imagery that feels connected to my story but still universal. The "shadows passing by" are represented through the lighting and movement in the studio hallway sequences, capturing that feeling of things following you but slowly fading away. Anza’s expression during "something’s still remind me" reflects that uncertainty of trying to move on while still carrying pieces of the past. The moment of her hugging herself while dancing mirrors the self-soothing and healing nature of writing the song itself.
There’s also this feeling of urgently running away from something, trying to break out of a negative cycle or escape a place you no longer belong, but at the same time, maybe you’re not just running away. Maybe you’re running toward something new, hoping for a fresh start.
There are also elements that are very specific to my own experience, like the moon phases representing my menstrual cycle (which I’ll never have again :)), and the operation board representing the overwhelming, scary, and complicated process of getting through something difficult, taking risks with this surgery, without knowing exactly what’s on the other side. But ultimately, the story lands somewhere joyful and freeing, shown through the beach scenes where I’m running and dancing in the water.
The video and song are both personal enough to tell my story, but open enough that someone else can find their own meaning in it. Astrid was able to capture something specific to me while still creating a world where other people can see themselves. It feels like such a privilege to be at a point where I can share this chapter of my life and let people connect with it in their own way.
Thank you Krissy + Astrid! Krissanthemum is playing in NYC at Night Club 101 on 7/6/2026—if you're in New York, or hell, the whole tristate area, get yr tickets here and see this magical shit live. And you can pre-order The Band Sounded Tight and the Timing Was Right on Bandcamp, but the album visualizer is ready to roll already on YouTube below:
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