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Some songs fade quietly into an artist’s catalog, only to resurface years later with new life. That’s exactly what’s happening with “Hello Darling” by The Star Prairie Project, a track first released in 2021 that’s now getting a second wind thanks to an unconventional new music video and a nod from the film world.
Originally featured on the band’s third album Surreal, “Hello Darling” racked up over 100,000 Spotify streams but never matched the viral reach of its album-mates like “Hang in There Becca” (1.3M+ streams) or “Contemplating Plato” (688K). Still, Surreal went on to become the band’s most-streamed project to date, with nearly 4 million plays overall. For frontman Nolen R. Chew Jr., the song always carried untapped potential.
“Sometimes a track is just a late bloomer,” Chew explains. “We always loved ‘Hello Darling,’ but it got buried on the record. The timing felt right to revisit it with a visual story.”
That “visual story” turned into something far from standard. Directed and co-conceived by Rudiger alongside LA screenwriter Kazie Kane—who also stars in the clip—the video swaps predictable romance tropes for an eerie, cinematic encounter between a man and a mysterious alien in his backyard. What begins as a suspenseful standoff morphs into something strangely tender, with fire pits, flashlights, and bananas serving as symbols of trust and connection.
The choice of an alien wasn’t random. According to Chew, the band wanted a concept that leaned into the song’s themes of shadow, light, and the unknown. “We almost went with an astronaut story, but when we found the right alien design, it clicked. It turned into more of a short film than just a music video,” he said.
The gamble worked. The “Hello Darling” video is now an official selection at the 2025 Tarzana International Film Festival, marking a milestone for a song that once seemed destined to stay in the shadows.
Looking ahead, Chew hints that other deep cuts from Surreal could get similar treatment. One contender is “The Crying,” which he describes as “a dystopian piece about democracy’s collapse—sadly more relevant now than when we wrote it.”
