WATCH: Anthony D’Amato, “When I See You Again”

Artist: Anthony D’Amato
Hometown: Blairstown, New Jersey
Single: “When I See You Again”
Release Date: July 3, 2020

In Their Words: “I originally wrote this song as a closer for the Social Distance Happy Hour, the weekly livestream series I launched when touring shut down. A lot of my catalog tends to explore darker themes, and it felt like I needed something more hopeful to end the shows with, something to remind folks of how sweet it will feel to hug their friends or go to a concert without worrying about spreading a deadly disease. While I was in the process of mixing the tune, I came across a really striking photo of two kids getting ready for school during the 1918 Spanish flu outbreak. They’re both wearing masks and staring straight into the camera, and I knew right away that it needed to be the cover art. The video is similarly built out of historic footage from the Prelinger Archives and I hope it can serve as a reminder to folks that, as unprecedented as our current situation feels, we’ve been here before in many ways, and it’s up to us as a society whether we want to listen to the science and learn from the past or bury our heads in the sand and repeat our mistakes.” — Anthony D’Amato


Photo credit: Vivian Wang

WATCH: Jill Andrews, “The Kids Are Growing Up”

Artist: Jill Andrews
Hometown: Johnson City, Tennessee; currently Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “The Kids Are Growing Up”
Album: Thirties
Label: Vulture, Vulture / Tone Tree

In Their Words: “I snuck away one day during my daughter’s nap to write ‘The Kids Are Growing Up.’ My son and daughter are seven years apart and everyday in both of them, I saw this theme personified. She was tiny in my arms just like he used to be. I wrote it as a reminder to myself to slow down and try to be present for the important moments, the ones that really matter. The video comes from ten found film reels donated to the Prelinger Archives in San Francisco. Nobody knows who the family is but based on the footage they lived in the St. Louis area. In the video, you see a family go through marriage, birth of their first child, raising children, holidays, marrying off their first child, and then their first grandchild being born. It so perfectly fits the theme of the song. I truly cannot believe that the filmmaker, Nathaniel Maddux, found the footage and that this family kept such amazing archives of their lives. He said he really hopes that someone sees the video and lets us know who they are!” — Jill Andrews


Photo credit: Fairlight Hubbard