Director Paul Brooking is proud to present Outside The Glasshouse, a short film based on the concept album by New York Pavements. The aim of the album and film is to raise awareness of the hugely important condition of men’s mental health in their forties and fifties.
The film has already been well-received on the film festival circuit, with acclaim from the likes of Cannes Shorts (Winner – Best Editing), Overcome Festival (Winner – Best Editing), London Independent Film Festival (Official Selection) to name a few.
New York Pavements will be working with a leading mental health charity Andy’s Man Club. With the sobering statistic that suicide is the biggest killer of men under fifty, New York Pavements are keen to reach men facing tough challenges in their lives through the power of classic British rock.
New York Pavements will be hosting a press screening on 15th November at Somerset House for Outside The Glasshouse. This will be followed by a panel discussion on the issues raised around men’s mental health. Speakers include Mark Brookes OBE (UK Ambassador for International Men’s Day), Oliver Vikse (Andy’s Man Club) and Paul Brooking.
The film Outside The Glasshouse is out 19th November 2022 in support of International Men’s Day.
The album Outside The Glasshouse will be released on 13th March 2023.
Talking about the concept, Paul elaborates, “inspiration came from losing my job in 2008. I was left in my mid-forties with no job amid the biggest recession the UK had faced since the 1920s. I found myself in a deep spiral of depression and a sense of bewilderment as to how I’d reached this nadir and if I could ever climb out of it. Writing and recording the album became a cathartic process, making me happier and more confident. I researched the often ridiculed male ‘mid-life crisis’, and found that this under-researched mental health condition had links to middle aged men taking their own lives. I spoke to as many men as I could and wrote the album around the stories they told me, creating the character of Jack and his struggles, his suicidal condition and his eventual recovery. Ideally, I hope it will give some individuals a reference point, an ally and a guide to help them navigate the dark days that can afflict so many”.
Hailing from West London, New York Pavements are Paul Brooking and Matt Bond (lead vocals). Paul is a producer, musician, writer, film director and photographer. He has previously worked with the likes of Plan B, Viola Beach, Family Jools, LAPP and also won a Cannes Silver Award and D&AD nomination in 2017 for Leeds Playhouse. Paul is also an award winning photographer (Royal Academy, National Portrait Gallery), shooting for fashion, music and design agencies including shoots for MOJO, Uncut, Sony Music, EMI, BMG, Channel 4.