Having recently suffered the tragic loss of his father to suicide, Sam Tompkins has written the song Phones In Heaven, in order to make some sense of it. The video directed by Jack Lightfoot is also an important part of the process: it's a powerful visual which places Tompkins in an abstract office space, where his co-workers are name-tagged with emotions - represented different stages of grief.  

"This video means more to me than pretty much any piece of art I have ever made," says Sam Tompkins. "When I wrote Phones In Heaven, I wanted it to be directed at people who have lost a loved one suddenly to suicide.

"I honestly don’t know many friendship groups compiled of men especially, who haven’t lost someone they know to it. I lost a friend of mine years back and it’s plagued me ever since, so I wanted this song to comfort people who have felt and still feel that sort of grief. That type of grief that stays open. The questions - the 'what ifs', the 'could I haves', maybe even the 'should I join them?'-type ones. It’s a mortifying feeling and so confusing.

"So, when my own dad, my hero decided to take his own life in November, my life instantly felt like it was falling apart all over again, but in a far worse way. I wondered what i would do without him. How i’d continue on in life for such a long time knowing he wasn’t gonna be there to see any of it. All i wanted was a sign. Just any sign that he’s fine. That’s what this song is about and what the video is about." 

"This was a very special video to work on," adds director Jack Lightfoot. "I don't think I could say it better than Sam himself."