Brad Paisley discusses the yin and yang of two videos about Appalachia, the celebratory 'Son of the Mountains' and opioid-themed 'The Medicine Will.'
In an effort to train a spotlight on the part of the world he’s from, and its joys and sorrows,is simultaneously releasing two striking new videos, “Son of the Mountains” and “The Medicine Will,” that each representing a flip side of Appalachian life. One song is a warm embrace of his home state of West Virginia that’s so inviting, it might make the state tourism board do backflips.
It might be giving me too much credit, if you call it a concept album. It has a direction, or more of a slant. There’s a vantage point that stays the same, which I describe at the beginning of these new videos, where I’m talking about the hollers where I hail from and the music that came from there, really.
That’s a good way of putting it. I think it’s two sides of a coin, and the videos work together that way on purpose as well. One’s color, one’s black and white. It’s very “Wizard of Oz,” in that sense. The first song, “Son of the Mountains,” is more sort of a chamber of commerce piece. I mean, you see that video and you think, “I want to go whitewater rafting. I want to go up and down the river and meet these people…” It’s not the whole story, but that story is true. It’s beautiful.
I had written “Son of the Mountains” first. That one we toiled with just as much, trying to say the right things in it. The state motto where I’m from is “Montanai Semper Liberi,” which is “Mountaineers are always free.” And I think if there’s anything they prize more than anything, it’s being free up there.
And then there’s a mindset: We exist for a different reason than any other state in America. We exist because we decided to stay with the union in 1863. That’s a very bold thing, to split a state in half and decide, “No, we’re going to do our own thing. This is what we believe in. Here we go.” And then to decide to fight on that side of the Civil War, it’s no small thing. It’s certainly remarkable in that sense, and there is a defiance and a free spirit to that state that is very rebellious.
And then the other… The most surreal thing I’ve done is, I literally lived what I’m trying to do with the two songs, which is, I had a ball [with one shoot] and then sat down and did interviews with these opioid survivors and people that are really inspiring. Everybody that you see in that “The Medicine Will” video is either a recovered addict or in recovery, or a first responder or a police officer or somebody who works with them, and they’re all trying to help.
But yeah, this is criminal. It’s so criminal. It’s as criminal as anything I’ve seen. And I’m angry about it, having been from there and now meeting these people.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Wild jaguar captured on camera in the Huachuca MountainsThis is the second jaguar to be detected in the Huachuca Mountains since 2016. Seven jaguars have been confirmed by photographs in the United States in the past 20 years.
Read more »
CBP Air and Marine Operations Crew conducts rescues in Arizona's Baboquivari MountainsOn Aug. 28, a UH-60 crew from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Air and Marine Operations (AMO) Tucson Air Branch performed two life-saving rescues in the tough Baboquivari Mountains.
Read more »
Postdoctoral Associate- Preeclampsia - Houston, Texas (US) job with Baylor College of Medicine (BCM)Postdoctoral Associate- Preeclampsia
Read more »
Lifestyle Medicine Program begins citywide expansion - New York Amsterdam NewsNYC Health + Hospitals announced this week that its nationally recognized Lifestyle Medicine Program has expanded to NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi in the Bronx. This is the first of six new sites to make the program available citywide. The pilot program, launched at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue in 2019 with the support of then-Borough President […]
Read more »
Precision Medicine Has Been OverhypedA new book argues that genomics is overshadowing environmental and social solutions to better health for all
Read more »
Northwestern Medicine doctor opens Latina breast cancer clinicOn the sprawling campus of Northwestern Medicine on the fourth floor of Prentice Women’s Hospital, a brand new Hispanic breast cancer clinic has opened, thanks to Dr. Claudia Tellez.
Read more »