CMT Artist Discovery’s latest additions — Garrett Jacobs, LJ, and Megan Linville — are the kinds of artists we love to spotlight. Just one look at these videos and you’ll understand why we’re obsessed.
Garrett Jacobs
“Just Like You”
Garrett Jacobs is taking a positive perspective about his debut video, “Just Like You.” He tells CMT, “The video shoot actually didn’t go as planned, it was supposed to be a sunny day and it ended up raining but the clouds made the lighting work out well for us! My mom got to fly in for the video shoot and I love that she got to be here while shooting for my first music video!”
A former American Idol contestant, Jacobs says, “This video brings out the aspects of the actual lyrics of the song because the song itself is pretty fun and playful, so we wanted to make the entire music video almost like a game and play off of a few lines, one which is ‘and you don’t even have a clue’ and make this video a scavenger hunt where the girl is the one leaving the clues. And then the other line is ‘cause everybody’s looking for a girl, just like you’ and I’m actually going around town looking for this girl who stole my hat. My manager and I came up with this idea and our videographer did an amazing job bring it to life! I’m really happy about it!”
He says he wants his followers to share his enthusiasm for this video: “I want my fans to be able to have fun with this song and turn it up and jam out on their good days, but also for the girls that are fans of mine, I want them to know that there’s a guy somewhere out there looking for a girl that is just like them and that they don’t have to try to be something that they’re not. Beauty is more than skin deep and I really hope that message will resonate with at least one person that hears this song.”
His excitement about the video stretches beyond just shooting it, too. He adds, “My manager actually has a video somewhere of me watching the video for the first time. I had no idea it was finished but she called me into a meeting and when I saw it, I couldn’t even believe it was me on the screen. It was everything I thought it would be and more and I was honestly blown away by it. Quinton and his entire team (Jon, Richard and Jake) were all amazing and I am so thankful that we got to work with them!”
Writers: Garrett Jacobs, Abram Dean, Jason Massey; Director: Quinton Cook
LJ
“Vegas”
When you have a song called “Vegas,” you know it’s going to be action-packed. LJ recalls, “The day we shot this video was epic! We started at 5 a.m. and ended at 10 p.m. I got to experience Vegas in such a cool and classic way. We had so much fun shooting on the strip and in front of the iconic Bellagio fountains. It was a day I’ll never forget, especially because I got to shoot it with my husband!”
She observes, “It gives the listener the full experience of hopping on a plane and going to Vegas for love. We wanted people to feel Vegas through my eyes in a lighthearted way. We shot with Gabriella Tanner out in the Vegas desert and on the Vegas strip. Gabby did such a great job capturing our experiences and brought it all to life.”
Asked about the experience of seeing the video for the first time, she replies. “It was so beautiful to see that whole experience brought to life. Everyone has their own memories or ideas of what Vegas is. To see Vegas through a lens of true love and hope was the goal when we started.”
She adds, “I want people to experience the excitement, love and happiness behind the video. My whole musical journey has been full of emotion and excitement and I wanted that to be captured through the lens. Life is what we make it and it is OK to have fun and daydream about love.”
Writers: Kelly Archer, Lindsay “LJ” James Hague, Nathan Spicer; Director: Gabriella Tanner
Megan Linville
“This Old Town”
Megan Linville captured four days of exploring Southern California in her new video, “This Old Town.” She says, “My favorite day of the shoot was in a place called Bombay Beach, on the banks of the Salton Sea, which is about two and a half hours outside of LA. One of the quirkiest places I have ever been to in my life. Justin, my director, did all of the site scouting, and he absolutely nailed this one. The heat index was around 115 degrees and we had to shoot the drone shots relatively quickly because of strong approaching winds. We filmed the singing shots right at sunset and I think everyone could feel an insane amount of magic in the air.”
She adds, “I feel like Justin did an amazing job bringing to life different emotions in this video….emptiness, happiness, loneliness, sadness, anger. All of the emotions that are stirred up returning to a place you have an attachment to, full of so many memories, but also a place that you feel like you no longer belong.”
In a meaningful message to her fans, Linville says, “Sometimes people outgrow each other, and that’s ok. Sometimes moving on doesn’t mean you are forgotten, even though it may feel that way at the time. It’s ok to reminisce on things that made you happy. It’s ok to cry and be sad, and it’s ok to evolve. That’s part of the journey and beauty of life.”
All those emotions carried over to the video, too. Asked how it felt to see the finished product for the first time, she replies, “Honestly…. I cried. I have been doing music for a long time, but this is the first video I have ever made. I feel like it’s another step in my creative process where I get to express myself and be vulnerable, as if putting feelings into song isn’t vulnerable enough, and show people another layer of my soul. I can’t wait to share this video with everyone!”
Writers: Megan Linville & Mark Narmore; Director: Justin Sands