Tag: Video premiere

WATCH: Garrison, Gordy, Hargreaves, Walsh, “Sports”

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Artist: Garrison, Gordy, Hargreaves, Walsh
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York/Denver, Colorado/Portland, Maine
Song: “Sports”
Album: Bluegrass and the Abstract Truth
Release Date: April 16, 2021

In Their Words: “Instrumental tunes are wonderfully subjective, like little movies whose narratives and meanings can transform and reflect the places they’ve seen. ‘Sports’ started as a little tune in my head riding the D train home from Manhattan to Brooklyn, and had its first public appearance on a local jazz gig. It followed me around, enjoyed some unveilings in the UK under a few different titles — I think I even took a fruitless audience survey to come up with a fitting appellation. When we went into the studio to record this group, its true title came to light and Joe, Alex, and Greg expressed its shifts of mood and character masterfully. We were so delighted to see our friend Danny Barnes’ take on what ‘Sports’ was communicating, and the video he made couldn’t have been a better fit for the mood of the piece.” — Grant Gordy

Photo credit: Dan Cardinal

WATCH: The Ladles, “Pages”

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Artist: The Ladles
Hometown: New York, New York
Song: “Pages”
Album: Springville Sessions
Release Date: April 16, 2021

In Their Words: “‘Pages’ talks about the experience of reading through an old journal and being confronted with your past self. In each entry, all your hopes and good intentions, your mistakes and your blind spots are laid bare in equal measure. It’s not a particularly comfortable experience, because you have the benefit of perspective and you know how it all works out. That confused and misguided relationship does fall apart. You did say the wrong thing and will have to apologize for it. However, I found that reading my own words from that time helped me to offer myself more compassion and understanding. It was a reminder that at any given moment, we only know what we know, and we’re all doing the best we can.” — Katie Martucci, The Ladles (guitar, vocals)

Photo credit: Liz Maney

WATCH: The Sweet Lillies, “My Brother’s Hill”

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Artist: The Sweet Lillies
Hometown: Boulder, Colorado
Song: “My Brother’s Hill”
Album: Common Ground
Release Date: June 4, 2021
Label: Americana Vibes

In Their Words: “We selected ‘My Brother’s Hill’ because we were deeply inspired by the composition’s stunning vocal harmonies, beautiful and meaningful lyrics, and old-timey structure, especially the cross tuning of the violin. We felt with our instrumentation and devotion to harmony singing that it would be a fun challenge to recreate the song. We started performing the song in 2019. Our version was truly well-received, at which point we began to consider recording it. As luck would have it we ran into the song’s composer Oliver Bates Craven at Folk Alliance in 2020 and were able to ask his permission to record the song. Oliver was enthusiastic at the prospect of hearing his song recorded by us. This gave us the encouragement we needed to go ahead and show it to our producer Tim Carbone of Railroad Earth. Tim immediately and resoundingly said, ‘Yes, let’s do it!’ Having the approval from the songwriter and our producer, as well as the enthusiasm of the band, the decision was made to record ‘My Brother’s Hill.'” — Julie Gussaroff, The Sweet Lillies

Photo credit: Michael Weintrob

WATCH: Andrew Adkins, “This Old Knife”

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Artist: Andrew Adkins
Hometown: Fayetteville, West Virginia
Song: “This Old Knife”
Album: April in Your Eyes – A Tribute to the Songs of John Lilly
Release Date: April 16, 2021
Label: Diamond Ranch Records

In Their Words: “I’ve always admired John Lilly as a person and as a songwriter. The first or second time I saw him perform, he played ‘This Old Knife’ and I was in love. I literally stuck my hand in my pocket and held the knife that my father gave to me. When asked to be a part of this album, I knew exactly what song I wanted to sing, because I’ve sang it so many times since I first heard it that night.” — Andrew Adkins

Photo credit: Tara Fowler

WATCH: Nefesh Mountain, “Wanderlust”

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Artist: Nefesh Mountain
Hometown: Montclair, New Jersey
Song: “Wanderlust”
Album: Songs for the Sparrows
Release Date: June 11, 2021
Label: Eden Sky Records

In Their Words: “The idea for this song came from the Traveler’s Prayer — these age-old words that our ancestors have spoken for centuries. ‘Wanderlust’ and this new album are very much a celebration; about adventure and endurance and pushing through the difficult times. We’re looking at some painful things in these songs, but it always comes back to the idea of persevering and letting love be your fuel.” — Doni Zasloff, Nefesh Mountain

Photo credit: Lawrence Rickford

WATCH: Sonja Midtune, “Los Angeles”

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Artist: Sonja Midtune
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Song: “Los Angeles”
Album: Dreams Melt Away (EP)
Release Date: April 2, 2021

In Their Words: “‘Los Angeles’ is a song with multiple meanings. What starts as a love song quickly turns into an analogy about the relationship; pretty on the surface, but messy underneath, just like Los Angeles. It asks the question, ‘Are WE Los Angeles?’ and ends with me accepting L.A. as my home, but wow, I am lost here. The music video was shot by my boyfriend at all of my favorite unique L.A. spots that I’ve discovered through the years. He loves the song. 🙂 We had a blast!” — Sonja Midtune

Photo credit: Michelle Lanning

WATCH: Cha Wa, “My People”

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Artist: Cha Wa
Hometown: New Orleans, Louisiana
Song: “My People”
Album: My People
Release Date: April 2, 2021
Label: Single Lock Records

In Their Words: “The message I am trying to send with the ‘My People’ music video is based on ancestral recall. This is a phenomenon where people consciously or subconsciously draw on the experiences and lives of their ancestors to perpetuate a certain lifestyle or culture. I am also trying to give the viewer an idea of the different spirits that dominate New Orleans. These are represented by the various elements of New Orleans culture shown, such as the Skull and Bone Gang, the Mardi Gras Indians, and the brass band.

“In this video, I juxtapose the origin story of the Mardi Gras Indians with the present day representation of our Black and Native American hybrid culture. Historically, many Black people who escaped slavery in South Louisiana were taken in, guided to safety, and hidden from slavecatchers by sovereign Native American tribes. From the natives, they acquired new customs, language, and dress, and meshed them with African masking traditions. This not only provided immediate freedom from captivity for the people who escaped, but also would eventually provide an avenue for the Black people of New Orleans to feel free on carnival day despite not being allowed to participate in the official Mardi Gras celebrations. (Read more below the player.)

“Brass bands in New Orleans also represent freedom, as they are the centerpiece of second lines. Second lines are long parades that involve high-energy dancing and music, free of cost to anyone who wants to show up. They happen every Sunday, and for many people, no matter how terrible their week might have been, second lines provide a space where they can dance, rejoice in the music, forget about their troubles for a little bit, and feel free. This is a tradition that dates back to the days of the drum circles at Congo Square, where only in New Orleans, Black enslaved people were allowed to play drums, sing, and dance however they wanted.

“The Skull and Bone Gang’s purpose is to warn people of impending danger to their lives. The idea is that they are there to remind people to lead a good and safe life, or they will be the next to die. What better spirit is there to relay the message than a dead man walking? All of these spirits, plus many more are constantly working in New Orleans to make it what it is. Mardi Gras day is just when they all come out to play.” — Aurelien Barnes, video producer/vocalist, Cha Wa

“In a society that is divided by so many things, ‘My People’ reminds us that no matter who you are — rich or poor, big or small — we’re all in this together as humans. Cause one day we gon’ all be in the same boat.” — Joseph Boudreaux Jr, vocalist, Cha Wa

Photo credit: Zach Smith

WATCH: Cole Quest and The City Pickers, “The Bitcoin Gambler”

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Artist: Cole Quest and The City Pickers
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Song: “The Bitcoin Gambler”
Album Title: Self [En]Titled EP
Release Date: April 16, 2021
Label: Omnivore

In Their Words: “As a software engineer by day, a folk musician by night, and someone who lost a chunk of money in the Bitcoin crash of 2018, I felt I had a unique connection to this modern day dilemma. I wanted to write a song that would show the parallels of this moment to the gambling sagas folks have been telling for hundreds of years. First came the melody line written on guitar, and the rest of the song wrote itself in a matter of minutes. As the band laid down the tracks, I fell in love with the ending of the recording. You can hear how each musician found their own wonderfully unique voicing to this melody. As I was writing the song, I found myself reflecting on things that are important. Surely, gambling a few dollars was nothing to worry about, especially in contrast to the problems created by an ill-equipped fool in the White House.” — Cole Quest

Photo credit: James Salzano

WATCH: Cody Tinnin, “No Man for Workin'”

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Artist: Cody Tinnin
Hometown: Durango, Colorado
Song: “No Man for Workin'”
Album: Perennial
Release Date: March 26, 2021
Label: Western Yoke Records

In Their Words: “No Man for Workin’,” from my debut solo album Perennial, is the tale of two prospectors in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado in the late 19th century: a murder ballad with a twist. Clawhammer banjo and high tenor vocals, recorded on vintage analog recording gear, help convey the darkness that dwells within the song’s protagonist. ‘No Man for Workin” is an original composition that captures the lo-fi familiarity of a classic old-time ballad. The song’s video also documents the Perennial home recording session with Jon Atkinson of Bigtone Records. Perennial is a snapshot into my personal study of clawhammer banjo, old-time, and my lifelong relationship with music. Years before I joined Stillhouse Junkies and became a full-time musician, my grandmother Mary Bartee told me that she believed music was my true calling. It has taken some time and searching to find my path as a musician but in the past few years, I believe I have finally found what it is I’m supposed to do in this life. Turns out, Grandma was right.” — Cody Tinnin

Video produced by Rees Gibbons. Photo credit: Renee Cornue

WATCH: Jomo & the Possum Posse, “Self Quarantine”

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Artist: Jomo & the Possum Posse
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Song: “Self Quarantine”
Album: Self Quarantine EP
Release Date: March 26, 2021
Label: Guy on a Buffalo

In Their Words: “I started 2020 with a challenge to myself to write a song every week for a full year. I had no idea the year would give me so much material! ‘Self Quarantine’ was written right at the time of the lockdown, when things were starting to get really crazy. People were hoarding groceries and supplies and generally freaking out. I loved the idea of using that as an excuse/metaphor to break it off with somebody. After more than a year of weekly songs, and the pandemic being such a big part of our lives, we decided to release an EP of some of our favorites.” – Jomo Edwards

Photo credit: Mike Wolfe