One of Canada’s most respected roots artists, Corb Lund comes from a background in ranching and rodeos — but that’s not what “Ride On” is about. Instead, he’s reimagining a deep cut from the rock band’s 1976 album, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. But there’s a good deed here, too, as one of his heroes, Ian Tyson, co-stars in the clip.
“Ride On” comes from Lund’s new album, Cover Your Tracks. Check out the cinematic video, then read our exclusive Q&A with Corb Lund below the player.
CMT: What do you remember most about shooting this video?
Corb Lund: I remember it being a pretty long couple of days! We started pretty early in the morning and worked on it until really late. But it was a good time to be out in the mountains at our family ranch. The weather can change real quick up here but things cooperated and it was a great experience. And spending time with Ian Tyson is always a good day for me.
How does the video bring your song to life?
Watching it after putting all our work into it, the thing that strikes me most is how it reflects my and Ian’s friendship. We’ve known each other for fifteen years or so, and though he’s been kind of a hero of mine, at this point it feels more like a pal. I sometimes have to remind myself of his stature as a songwriter. But I think our camaraderie is visible in a lot of the shots, and imbues the song with kind of a time depth, since Ian and I are of different generations. Also, the Rocky Mountains kind of steal the show in this video. They’re always so majestic that they bring a powerful beauty to the whole thing.
What message do you hope your fans take away from the video?
Well, the song itself is pretty sad, it’s about a guy who’s lived a pretty rough life. It’s one of my favourite AC/DC songs and it’s excellently written. But to me, our version has a bit more hope in it, especially with the visuals. I think the way we shot it gives it a bit more of a nostalgic feel, and isn’t quite as bleak as the original. And having Ian sing it with me gives the whole thing a multi-generational, “life goes on” flavour.
How did it feel to see the finished product for the first time?
It was great seeing it all come together. Any time you put a lot of time and work into a project, whether it’s a video or a recording or a tour, it’s satisfying seeing all the work pay off. With art and music you never know. Sometimes you work your tail off and the final product just doesn’t come together how you’d hoped. But this thing really did; I’m really happy with how it turned out.
