Tag: Video premiere

WATCH: Nora Jane Struthers, “Nice to Be Back Home”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Nora Jane Struthers
Hometown: Nashville via New Jersey
Song: “Nice To Be Back Home”
Album: Bright Lights, Long Drives, First Words
Release Date: February 21

In Their Words: “Neilson [Hubbard] produced Bright Lights, Long Drives, First Words as well as my previous album, Champion. Josh [Britt, who filmed and directed the video] has also worked with us before, so there was already a comfort level there. It made it easy for me to have fun and feel relaxed, especially since I was in a room full of people I love! I think the video shows off our drummer Drew Lawhorn really well, which is fitting. This was actually a finger-picking, soft and mellow love song when I wrote it. Then Drew took it in a new direction.” — Nora Jane Struthers

Photo credit: Joseph Llanes

WATCH: Scott Mulvahill, “Say I Love You”

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Artist: Scott Mulvahill
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Say I Love You” (Single)
Label: Soundly Music/West Sterling

In Their Words: “‘You don’t trust anyone, got a mouth like a loaded gun’ is one of my favorite first lines that I’ve ever written. And to me, ‘Say I Love You’ is all about the lyric — it’s about our ability to love and choose each other even though we’re so flawed. I came up with a draft of this song and then finished it in stages with Ben Shive and Beth Nielsen Chapman, and they really made it deeper and ring more true. To let the words come through, I kept this arrangement simple — it’s just my voice, my guitar, and a beautiful string arrangement by Maestro Lightford.” — Scott Mulvahill

Photo Credit: Lindsey Patkos

WATCH: Aaron Bibelhauser & Relic, “Loving You Again”

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Artist: Aaron Bibelhauser & Relic
Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Song: “Loving You Again”
Album: Lovin’ & Leavin’: A Bluegrass Tribute to Mickey Clark
Single Release: December 13, 2019

In Their Words: “After the passing of Kentucky songwriter Mickey Clark, I decided to produce a collaborative bluegrass album centered around some my favorite songs from his catalog, in particular his lovin’ and leavin’ songs — that was the way he would describe them. ‘Loving You Again’ is an emotional expression of this timeless dichotomy. Poignant lines like ‘There’s ramble written on my boots, there’s a map in my guitar’ capture the human longing to wander, while the resolving lyrics fly in the face of that free-spiritedness: ‘When I look into your eyes, I know I won’t go far.’ Recording this track with my twin brother Adam and our band Relic seemed like an incredibly special way to honor our old friend. We’ve been making music together with this band for over a decade and when we get the chance to share our take on such a special song, it seems our journey has only just begun.” — Aaron Bibelhauser

Photo credit: Winston Garthwaite
Video by Chris Witzke

WATCH: Twin Kennedy, “Blindspot” (Live)

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Twin Kennedy
Hometown: Victoria, BC
Song: “Blindspot”

In Their Words: “‘Blindspot’ is a special song for us as both musicians and songwriters. We were excited to release something so vulnerable and sincere, and we felt connected to the song from the day we wrote it. ‘Blindspot’ is about heartbreak and about finding yourself in a place where you are not feeling seen or valued by your loved one. It is also about feeling strong enough to say. ‘I won’t stay here in your blindspot.’ We’ve had our hearts broken before, but through the experience we have found more strength and self-love. We hope this song connects with our listeners and serves as a reminder to love yourself and choose to be with people who would never put you in their blindspot.

“It was so amazing to record this one-shot video live-off-the-floor in such a beautiful space at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, BC. We wanted to represent the title of the song by standing back-to-back, tuning into our ‘twin-tuition’ and performing while we were in each other’s blindspots.”

Photo credit: Suzanne Sagmeister Photography

WATCH: Stelth Ulvang, “Mornings”

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Artist: Stelth Ulvang
Hometown: Denver, Colorado
Song: “Mornings”
Album: American Boredom

In Their Words: “I thought it would be nice to shed a small glow on the darker side of tour life. As lighthearted as a tune about seasonal depression can be, I wrote ‘Mornings’ in one of the harder and longer stints of touring (with The Lumineers). The beautiful late light of Sean Spellman’s studio in Westerly, Rhode Island, seemed like the best spot to record with my two bandmates Dorota Szuta and Max Barcelow. Often with everything glowing and bright on the outside, it is even harder to show people that seemingly endless, all encompassing, darkness. Ha, enjoy!” — Stelth Ulvang

Photo credit: Norah Hoover

WATCH: Nashville Covers Dylan for SAFPAW, “All I Really Want to Do”

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Artist: Nashville Covers Dylan for SAFPAW
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “All I Really Want to Do” (Bob Dylan)
Release Date: November 18, 2019

In Their Words: “Each person involved with this project donated their time and skills to make this happen. We all see what Laurie Green of Southern Alliance for People and Animal Welfare (SAFPAW) is doing for our community, and we love the spirit and songs of Bob Dylan, so we have merged concepts and talents to raise awareness for something truly worthwhile.” — Tim Easton

Donations can be made here.

Editor’s Note: New West Records artist Aaron Lee Tasjan, ANTI- artist Darrin Bradbury, Cafe Rooster Records artists Brian Wright, Sally Jaye, Jon Latham, and Nikki Barber of The Minks, spearheaded by Tim Easton and producer Gabe Masterson, gathered at Club Roar Recording studio to record Bob Dylan’s “All I Really Want to Do” to raise awareness for SAFPAW (Southern Alliance of People and Animal Welfare). Directed and edited by Stacie Huckeba, the live video session marks the fifth consecutive year that Easton, Huckeba, and Masterson have partnered to record and film a Bob Dylan cover for a Nashville-based charity.

Trampled by Turtles Revisit Iris DeMent’s “Our Town”

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Over the years, Trampled by Turtles have occasionally added Iris DeMent’s stark folk song, “Our Town,” to their set list, with lead singer Dave Simonett delivering the Midwestern loneliness and wistfulness that the tune calls for. Now the Minnesota-based band has finally recorded “Our Town” for an upcoming EP, Sigourney Fever, which drops on December 6.

The track list also includes covers of Neil Young’s “Pocahontas,” Faces’ “Ooh La La,” Warren Zevon’s “Keep Me in Your Heart,” and Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees.” The band will be touring in January and February.

“We are getting back into the readiness of making a full record,” Simonett tells American Songwriter. “Right now, I’m starting to write, but it’s kind of a limbo time. This is sort of like an appetizer for us.”

DeMent once told NPR that she wrote the song after driving through a boarded-up Midwestern town when she was 25 years old, and that the song came to her in its complete form. She wisely recognized that musical experience as her calling to be a songwriter. More than three decades later, it’s good to know that the sun still hasn’t set on “Our Town.”

Photo credit: David McClister

WATCH: Mile Twelve, “Whiskey Trail”

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Artist: Mile Twelve
Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts
Single: “Whiskey Trail”
Release Date: November 15, 2019
Label: Delores the Taurus Records

In Their Words: “Our bass player Nate brought this energetic Los Lobos song to the band nearly a year ago, and it has slowly but surely become one of our favorites to perform. Even though originally imagined for electric instruments, we think the bluegrass outfit suits the music well. Now we’re excited to be releasing this song as a studio single! To celebrate the premiere we made this live video of our arrangement performed at the Fox Bar & Cocktail Lounge in Nashville, Tennessee, and filmed by the amazing Alex Chaloff. What better place to film a song about hard liquor than this, right?” — David Benedict, Mile Twelve

Photo credit: Kaitlyn Raitz

WATCH: Greensky Bluegrass, “Wish I Didn’t Know”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Greensky Bluegrass
Hometown: Kalamazoo, MI
Song: “Wish I Didn’t Know”
Album: All for Money
Release Date: January 18th, 2019
Label: Big Blue Zoo Records

In Their Words: “I think the panoramic views inspired our playing and put us in a good mood for a relatively cold video shoot. It was gorgeous up there! We spent about three days hiking up to this spot with all of our gear for this video shoot… it was hard, but really worth it. No, I’m just kidding. We took all of our gear up in the gondola and it was pretty easy. All the folks who work at Squaw Valley were super helpful and awesome. The only hard parts were trying to keep instruments in tune in the cold and changing weather, keeping our hands warm, hearing each other while playing on top of a mountain, and looking cool in puffy coats. That’s all!” — Anders Beck, resonator guitarist

Don’t miss WinterWonderGrass 2020 in Steamboat Springs, CO, Squaw Valley, CA, and Stratton, VT.

Photo credit: Dylan Langille

WATCH: Unspoken Tradition, “Cold Mountain Town”

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Artist: Unspoken Tradition
Hometown: Western North Carolina
Song: “Cold Mountain Town”
Album: Myths We Tell Our Young
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “For the album Myths We Tell Our Young, we explore themes of mountain culture and how it is evolving. There is no better example than Asheville, North Carolina. I’ve lived and played music in this city for over 25 years and watched it change and grow while still holding strong to its rich Appalachian music culture. This song is dedicated to artists that continue to struggle and survive in this ‘Cold Mountain Town.'” — Ty Gilpin, Unspoken Tradition songwriter, mandolin player, and vocalist

Photo credit: Sandlin Gaither