Americana artist Beth Bombara gives fans an inside look of the recording experience on the video for the first single, “Promised Land” premiering on Glide below. The single is off her forthcoming self-titled LP due out June 23, an album that showcases Bombara’s versatility as not only a poignant song-writer but showcases her engaging tone that delivers the ideal mix of twang, soul and blues.
Set at Jettison Studios, the video documents real moments in the studio during the recording of the song. Viewers are given a front row seat to Bombara’s synergy of smooth and smoky vocals, juxtaposition of driving electric guitar with banjo, and the buildup of instrumentation found in the single.
“It was shot at Jettison Studios, while we were recording the actual song for the album,” recounts Bombara. “The studio is out in the country, in the middle of lots of corn fields. One day while we were recording, a hot air balloon landed in the backyard of the studio. The pilot of the balloon made us come outside and drink champagne with all the riders.”
“Recording this album was by far the best experience I’ve ever had in a studio. It felt warm and comfortable, and allowed the band to really play off of each other. There’s some special chemistry going on, and I’m glad some of it was captured on video when we were recording this song (Promised Land)”.
On “Promised Land,” Bombara tackles the universal theme of uncertainty and the fear that accompanies moving forward into the unknown to open new horizons. She says, “I started writing this song at a point where a lot of things in my life were uncertain. I was just standing on the edge of a dark abyss, being afraid to jump but knowing I needed to take a leap of faith to get to the other side. Those leaps into the unknown are a little easier when you have someone to jump with you.”
Bombara could not have created her new, self-titled album anywhere but St. Louis. On it, she and her band (Kit Hamon, JJ Hamon, Karl Eggers, Corey Woodruff, Ryan Spearman) borrow from the city’s traditions, including alt-country (Uncle Tupelo, The Bottle Rockets) and blues (Albert King, Lonnie Johnson), while embodying the collaboration, experimentation and resolve of the tight-knit scene developing there today.
Photos by Nate Burrell
For more information on Beth Bombara and the new album, please visit her website.
