Brittany Howard writes the songs that make Terry Crews and a whole town sing in the video for her new song, “Stay High,” off her upcoming solo debut, Jaime, out September 20th via ATO Records.
Kim Gehrig directed the video for “Stay High,” which stars Crews as a factory worker who clocks out and goes about his after work errands while lip-syncing Howard’s delightful tune about embracing joy after a long day of work. The “Stay High” video was filmed in Howard’s hometown of Athens, Alabama, and as Crews rolls through the town, the other folks around him pick up the tune and the beat as well.
Howard dedicated the “Stay High” video to her father, K.J. Howard, who makes a cameo in the clip. In a statement, she said Crews “plays a man who isn’t out to change the world, he plays a man who just wants to come home to those who understand and love him best. We see his inner beauty, grace and humanity in a place that is so often misunderstood.”
Howard specifically had Crews in mind for the role, and the actor spoke about receiving her pitch for the video. “I got an email from the Brittany Howard, asking me to be a part of a song she wrote that was all about her dad and how special he was to the family,” he said. “And she poured her heart out in this letter. I couldn’t believe it. Brittany was like, ‘We can shoot it in L.A.,’ and I said, ‘No, I’m coming to you, we’re going to Alabama. We’re going to where you grew up, to where your family is.’”
“Stay High” follows previously-released Jaime track, “History Repeats,” which arrived last month. Howard crafted the record with engineer Shawn Everett and a core group of musicians that included her Alabama Shakes bandmate Zac Cockrell, jazz keyboardist Robert Glasper and drummer Nate Smith. The album follows the Alabama Shakes’ 2015 album, Sound and Color, as well as the 2015 self-titled debut of her rock and roll side project Thunderbitch.
Howard will embark on a North American tour in support of Jaime August 17th in Asheville, North Carolina.