Sebadoh - Ocean

What this video is

Released in 1996 on Sub Pop Records as the lead single from Sebadoh's sixth album Harmacy, 'Ocean' arrived at a pivotal juncture for indie rock: the band had evolved from four-track cassette lo-fi origins (pioneered alongside Pavement, Beat Happening, and Guided by Voices) toward a more studio-polished sound, while retaining DIY credibility. Harmacy became Sebadoh's first charting U.S. album, boosted by Lou…

Why it matters

A key document of mid-90s Sub Pop indie rock at the lo-fi / mid-fi boundary. 'Ocean' charted on Billboard Modern Rock Tracks, representing a rare mainstream crossover for Sebadoh's guitar-based introspective songwriting. The video's collage-editing approach and DIY visual sensibility directly…

The director

Laura Hyde Crapo (b. 1967, USA; raised Canada) is a multimedia artist, filmmaker, and musician active in the Halifax, Chicago, and Toronto indie scenes throughout the 1990s under the pseudonym Laura Borealis. She holds an MFA from the Chicago Art Institute.…