Tag: music video

WATCH: Afton Wolfe, “Lost Prayers” (Feat. Courtney Santana)

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Afton Wolfe
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Lost Prayers” featuring Courtney Santana
Album: The Harvest
Release Date: November 10, 2023
Label: Grandiflora Records

In Their Words: “Courtney’s vocals turned this one from a country waltz to a country waltz that explodes into a gospel hymn. And Anna’s violin part really tied it together beautifully. Hopefully someone hears the prayers, or at least the song.

“This video was filmed in the brief time that [videographers] Anana [Kaye] and Irakli [Gabriel] were available at the same time as Courtney, during AmericanaFest. It represents the offeror of the prayer, Afton, separated from the angel receiving those prayers, Courtney. The tragic figure sending prayers in the wrong direction no matter which direction. We didn’t have much time to plan or conceptualize, but we decided to go outside and brought some chairs. As Anana and I were looking at the setup, the concept and feel of the shoot materialized like magic. Then Anana edited it beautifully. With Courtney’s beauty and presence, the whole thing just turned out better than a plan would have. I wore the same thing to my gig that afternoon.” – Afton Wolfe

Track Credits: Written by L.H. Halliburton.

Afton Wolfe – guitar, vocals
Doc Sarlo – keys
Anna Eyink – violin
Courtney Santana – vocals

Produced and engineered by Doc Sarlo.
Recorded at Portland Playhouse Studio, Portland, Tennessee
Mixed by Mark Robinson, Guidos South, Madison, Tennessee
Mastered by Oz Fritz.

Video filmed, directed, and produced by Anana Kaye and Irakli Gabriel.

Photo Credit: Jeff Fasano

WATCH: Rosanne Cash, “The Truth About You”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Rosanne Cash
Hometown: Born in Memphis, Tennessee; Now lives in New York City, New York
Song: “The Truth About You”
Album: The Wheel 30th Anniversary Deluxe Reissue
Release Date: October 26, 2023 (video); November 17, 2023 (reissue)
Label: RumbleStrip Records

In Their Words: “I was turned inside out when I wrote these lyrics. I was full of so much longing that I thought I would drown in it. I was also trying to come to terms with the idea that I might not get what I wanted. It was a deeply melancholy moment, but it had the light of possibility. I gave the lyrics to John, like a supplication in code, and he wrote the music. That was a good sign.” – Rosanne Cash

Photo Credit: Pamela Springsteen

WATCH: The Wandering Hearts, “Still Waters”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: The Wandering Hearts
Hometown: England
Song: “Still Waters”
Release Date: October 26, 2023
Label: Chrysalis Records

In Their Words: “‘Still Waters’ is a conversation between the head and the heart and the separate choices we make on behalf of them. We try to see clearly enough to make a firm decision either way, only to discover that there is a rippling series of consequences whatever the outcome. Writing and recording this song, we gave the rhythm a feel of lapping waves to capture the sense of the push and pull of the tides, to mirror the push and pull of the inner conflict.” – The Wandering Hearts

Photo Credit: Stewart Baxter

WATCH: Hildaland, “The Selkie of Sule Skerry”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Hildaland
Hometown: Portland, Maine
Song: “The Selkie of Sule Skerry”
Album: Sule Skerry
Release Date: October 25, 2023 (single); November 3, 2023 (album)
Label: Adhyâropa Records

In Their Words: “‘The Selkie of Sule Skerry’ is an old folk tale of which there are many versions. We love a rendition sung by Kris Drever in the band Fine Friday on their 2002 record, Gone Dancing. We took inspiration from this, wrote our own melody, and had a lot of fun with the arrangement. Ethan played both mandola and the electric mandocello on this one, we worked up a string arrangement together, and had Dan Klingsberg record some double bass for us, and Sam Kassirer laid down some synth.” – Louise Bichan

Photo Credit: Louise Bichan

Watch a Brand New Video From Americana Firebrand Sierra Ferrell

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

With a brand new, to-be-announced album coming in 2024, Americana singer, songwriter, and “musical vagabond” Sierra Ferrell has released “Fox Hunt,” a galloping, gothic track with a storybook-style animated video. (Watch above.) It’s one of her most sonically mainstream single releases to date, reminding of groups like the Lumineers — a shimmering polish on the deeply patina-ed, gritty sounds drawn from her West Virginia raising.

Ferrell is one of the fastest rising stars in American roots music, with a tour schedule and dance card filled to bursting. Listeners place her in musical constellations with such high energy and “back to basics” artists like Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Zach Bryan, Margo Price, and more – many of whom she calls friends and collaborators. But Ferrell, in a twist of homophonics, brings a feral and untethered mastery into her music, a quality that continually has fans begging for more. Her performance of femininity – and as often, her subversion of it – recalls other mountain music mavens like Dolly Parton, Ola Belle Reed, Wilma Lee Cooper, and Loretta Lynn, but with their often aspirational facades – qualities of each of their professional brands – exchanged for a devil-may-care attitude that’s just as deliberate and intentional. It’s as much an extension of Ferrell’s agency as any of the women who came before her donned their own rhinestones, big hair, and striking make-up as representations of their individuality.

2024 will undoubtedly find Sierra Ferrell notching many more career milestones as her ever-growing audience will be hanging on for every rollicking, frolicking note.

Photo Credit: Bobbi Rich

WATCH: Ynana Rose, “Strawberry Moon”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Ynana Rose
Hometown: I was born in Mendocino, California, and grew up in rural Northern California and Southern Oregon. I’ve lived in San Luis Obispo, California, for the last 20 years.
Song: “Strawberry Moon”
Album: Under a Cathedral Sky
Release Date: October 20, 2023 (song); November 3, 2023 (album)

In Their Words: “‘Strawberry Moon’ is an old–time song of forbidden love and every time I play it I give thanks for being born in the here and now – where I can choose how to be and who to love. This is the first song I wrote for my album and I play it at every show. It came together so easily in the studio: Co-producer Damon Castillo and I knew just how to bring it to life. Tammy Rogers (of The SteelDrivers) and Scotty Sanders add fiddle and Dobro to the already meaty mix of upright bass, drums, and electric guitar. The audio for the video is spare, just guitar and vocals – sound engineer/producer Graham Ginsberg and I were really aiming for a haunted, yearning kind of a vibe. It’s a story that feels true, so I sing it that way.” – Ynana Rose

(Editor’s Note: You may also stream the studio version of “Strawberry Rose” below.)

Photo Credit: Barry Goyette

WATCH: Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, “Can’t Live Without Love”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Can’t Live Without Love” (Featuring Molly Tuttle, Sam Bush, Bryan Sutton, Jerry Douglas, and more)
Release Date: October 13, 2023 (single); October 17, 2023 (video)
Label: Sugar Petunia Records

In Their Words: “I’m so happy to share a behind the scenes studio video from the recording of my debut vocal single, ‘Can’t Live Without Love’ featuring Molly Tuttle and Sam Bush. This song is the first track I’ve released from my upcoming album, out in Spring 2024. We tracked it last fall in Nashville, at Brent Truitt’s studio, ‘The Cave,’ and it was actually the first song of the first day of recording the album, so it’s kind of fitting it should also be the first song to be released.

“I’m joined by some of my absolute favorite musicians: Jerry Douglas, Bryan Sutton, Dominick Leslie, Wesley Corbett and Jeff Picker. They all brought so much joy and magic to this track! And it was such an honor to get to sing with Molly Tuttle and Sam Bush, both of whom inspire me so much on a musical and personal level. This song by Jamie Hartford is a beautiful meditation on what we can and can’t live without in this life and how we can overcome challenges by focusing on what’s important.” – Bronwyn Keith-Hynes

Track Credits: Written by Jamie Hartford

Co-produced by Brent Truitt and Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
Recorded by Brent Truitt. The Cave, Nashville, TN
Mastered by Alex McCollough. True East Mastering, Nashville, TN

Bronwyn Keith-Hynes – lead vocal, fiddle
Molly Tuttle – harmony vocal
Sam Bush – harmony vocal
Jerry Douglas – Dobro
Bryan Sutton – guitar
Dominick Leslie – mandolin
Wesley Corbett – banjo
Jeff Picker – bass

Photo Credit: Alexa King Stone
Video Credits: Shot at The Cave in Nashville, TN; produced by Steve Voss of Solar Cabin.

WATCH: Steven Gellman, “Little Victories”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Steven Gellman
Hometown: New Market, Maryland
Song: “Little Victories”
Album: All You Need
Release Date: October 6, 2023
Label: Hidden Poet Music

In Their Words: “Sometimes it’s the little things in life that we need to celebrate. Dedicated to anyone struggling just to get out of bed in the morning, or go about daily activities. ‘Celebrate the small.'” – Steven Gellman

Photo Credit: Renee Ruggles

WATCH: Ethan Lyric, “I Love You More”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Ethan Lyric
Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Song: “I Love You More”
Album: Saskatoon Berries EP
Release Date: October 13, 2023 (single); December 1, 2023 (EP)

In Their Words: “The music video was shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, throughout the beautiful area of North Van alongside my cinematographer and long-time collaborator, Carter Heintz. Showing the journey and navigation of love through the simple and fun lens my music always tries to provide.

“The inspiration for this project as a whole came from a lot of artists and things in my life at the time. This single and my upcoming EP, Saskatoon Berries, take a lot of inspiration from the musicians I grew up hearing on YouTube – like Conan Gray, Cavetown, and Chloe Moriondo. All these people create music that just makes you feel at ease and want to smile, and that’s how I would love my music to be received as well. I feel this project was also deeply influenced by the process of finding myself and my identity. I always like to say that being an Indigenous artist, whether you write explicitly about Indigenous culture or not, your culture is one of the biggest inspirations to your art so I feel obviously that was a large inspiration as well.” – Ethan Lyric

Track Credits: Songwriter – Ethan Lyric

Musicians: Ethan Lyric – vocals, guitar
Jeremy Haywood Smith (JayWood) – bass
Brett Tizcon – keys
Anil Ramgotra – drums

Producer – Jeremy Haywood Smith (JayWood)
Recording engineer – Jeremy Haywood Smith (JayWood)
Mixing – Art Antony
Mastering – J. LaPointe (Archive Mastering)

Photo Credit: Julio Assis (BNB Studios)
Video Credits: Cinematographer – Carter Heintz
Edited by Ethan Lyric, Carter Heintz
Featuring – Matilda Shanks, Victoria McNeil

WATCH: The Band of Heathens, “Heartless Year” (Live)

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: The Band of Heathens
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Song: “Heartless Year” (Live)
Album: Simple Things
Release Date: January 18, 2023

In Their Words: “‘Heartless Year’ is a song for the survivors out here juggling the flaming swords of life to hold it together. Recently we’ve all been pushed to our limits realizing we can bounce back stronger than before, and ‘Heartless Year’ is a tribute to that resilience. Our latest album, Simple Things, is an embrace of life’s excess being stripped away, and a celebration of the bare essentials – like friends and family – that pull us through the hard times. This is a recording of the song stripped of its full band arrangement, leaving you with the bare essentials.” – Gordy Quist

Photo Credit: Alysse Gafkjen
Video Credit: Barbara FG