http://www.cmt.com/video-clips/57292c
It’s good to have good friends in life and music, just ask Andy Velo. They’ll show up for you, cheer you on, and sometimes even send you song that will change your life.
That’s exactly the case with Velo’s new single “Half-Truths and Other Lies,” which celebrates its world premiere on CMT today.
“This song was sent to me by my friend Carole-Ann Mobley,” Velo recalled to CMT.com.
“It was written by Shane McAnally, Chris Tompkins, and Josh Kear. I was in Charleston when she first sent it my way and I had a 4-hour drive ahead of me which is usually when I do most of my listening to new music that I’ll get pitched. I probably listened to this song the entire way, I was instantly hooked by the melody it was infectious. I’d leave it and then come right back, I knew I wanted to bring it to life,” he continued.
And do so in the tradition of the greats that have inspired him since childhood.
“Growing up, there was a lot of Kenny Rogers played in our house and this song immediately took me there. The lyrics were so relatable, I’d been the guy in this song so many times as we all have similar thoughts and experiences. When Jimmy Ritchey and I took this song in the studio, we captured the exact vibe we were going for and it really was a special day in the studio.”
As for the video? The shoot fell perfectly into place, too.
“We chose 3rd & Lindsley as the location for the shoot. It’s one of my favorite venues in Nashville and really has that dark vibe I wanted for the video.”
Of course, everything hasn’t always fallen into place for Velo, as is the case most often as artists climb the ranks and paying dues. Long hours on the road, gas station food and showers, bad venues, bad checks: you name it, Velo has likely seen it, accompanied by a few names you will know.
“I was playing a show with Aaron Lewis that was literally in the middle of a field in Louisiana that ended up burning down after the show,” he revealed.
“Also, a couple years ago me and Ashley McBryde had to play in an off-roading mud park in the middle of the sticks of northern Mississippi that we had to drop the trailers with our gear and hook them to side by sides so we could get the gear to the stage because the mud was too deep to get the vans back to the stage which was back in the woods. Then, after the show, the buyer didn’t book everyone their hotel rooms and all of us were literally in the middle of nowhere, so the guys and I had to drive two hours to the nearest hotel with a vacancy.”
And now, thankfully, here we are. Not bad for a guy with big dreams and even bigger drive. And Velo is just getting started on his bucket list of dream places to meet fans and play for audiences everywhere.
“Red Rocks is at the top of that list. Some of the other major festivals are too like Tortuga, Lake Shake, Stagecoach, and Watershed, I look forward to getting to play those,” he said.
And there is no doubt he will. “Half-Truths and Other Lies” follows “Wouldn’t Be the First Time,” which Velo released only a few months ago. Look for more music and tour dates from the singer-songwriter this year.
