Next Up Now brings together a variety of country music videos each week. Check out these artists and find out who their influences are — directly from the musicians themselves. Then come back each week to discover who you should be listening to next.
The Allman Betts Band, “All Night”
Writers: Devon Allman, Duane Betts, Stoll Vaughn; Director: Devon Williams
Influences: All the Southern rock bands, The Allman Brothers, Tom Petty
From the Artist: “We wanted a ’1980s road video’ vibe for ’All Night.’ Those are the type of videos we remember from our childhood during the heyday of MTV. We wanted to show life on stage and off while on tour to give our fans a bird’s eye view of what it’s like. That’s why there’s some day-off shenanigans like pizza joints and bowling alleys. It’s not a huge budget/lofty concept video by any means…and that’s by design. It’s just on the road having fun.”
Tiffany Ashton, “I’m on to You”
Writers: Tiffany Ashton and Taylor Scott; Director: Marcus Sotelo
Influences: Dolly Parton, Sara Evans, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood
From the Artist: “‘I’m on to You’ is all about the gut feeling that comes with the rising suspicion that the person you love is being unfaithful. When I was writing this song, I wanted to convey not only the realization of what’s going on, but the roller coaster of hurt, betrayal, and anger that comes with the evidence stacking up. The ultimate plot twist in the video (and in life) is that for anyone facing this, someone or something better is right around the corner!”
Sandra Lynn, “I Think of You”
Writers: Caitlyn Smith, Ruston Kelly; Directors: Brandon Hess and Tara Tucker (Tucker/Hess Productions)
Influences: Deana Carter, Trisha Yearwood, Dixie Chicks, Shania Twain and Faith Hill as well as Michelle Branch, Jewel and Anna Nalick
From the Artist: When I first heard ’I Think of You,’ it reminded me of the first time I heard ’Strawberry Wine’ come on the radio. The vivid imagery depicted in both songs instantly resonated with me on a deeper level and put me exactly in the place of the lyric — that’s the moment I knew I had to cut this song.
“This was my fifth video shoot with Tucker/Hess Productions, and what I loved about this shoot in particular is that not only was it just about the performance of the song, but it was also about being able to deliver a performance that tells the story of the song. It was such a fun challenge going from smiling and dancing in the kitchen to crying in the shower to subtle moments of conversation and stone cold moments of feeling so much and nothing — all at once.
Natascha Myers, “Hindsight”
Writers: Emily Hackett, Palmer Lee, Natascha Myers; Director: Zack Dyer
Influences: Lori McKenna, Donovan Woods, Lee Ann Womack, Patty Loveless, Steve Moakler
From the Artist: “’Hindsight’ was written with the realization that we so often let regret have its way with us. We humans have a tendency to wish we had done things differently, and Emily, Palmer, and I wanted to write a song that proposes we make things happen now, rather than indeed ’wishing it was different in hindsight.’
“When it came time to dream up and scheme up a music video, I had this lofty idea of portraying the same scene happening two different ways… a pick-your-plot, if you will. At the end of the day, it’s up to us how we are going to look back on our yesterdays, and I wanted that choice to be illustrated in this video. My director, the incredible Zack Dyer, took that concept and brought it to life exactly how I envisioned it.”
Emma White, “Ten Year Town”
Writers: Emma White, Brinley Addington, Neil Medley; Director: Jay Curtis Miller
Influences: Justin Timberlake, Dixie Chicks, Patty Griffin
From the Artist: “‘Ten Year Town’ is meant to tell the story of chasing a dream and getting a little lost along the way. The video captures the process of finding yourself through losing yourself, and, in the end, staying true to yourself.”