The Krickets are an all female swamp folk band that Paste Magazine describes as “…a truly stunning, one-of-a-kind sound.” Produced by Ben Tanner of the Alabama Shakes and recorded at John Paul White’s SunDrop Sound in Florence, AL, The Krickets released a debut album called “Spanish Moss Sirens” in May of 2016. The album earned them the 2016 IMA Folk/Singer Songwriter Song of the Year Award for “Cool Cool Water”, the 2016 IMEA Folk Artist of the Year and an International Acoustic Award Nomination in the Folk category for the song “To and Fro”.
After another successful kickstarter in January 2018 the Krickets went back into the studio with Grammy nominated producer Sam Ashworth to record their second full length studio album, Redbird, which will be released on October 26.
Today Glide is excited to premiere the new music video for Redbird’s title track. With a sneaky and ominous banjo and sultry vocals, the song showcases the group’s ability to harmonize angelically while also rocking out on acoustic instruments. The four members of The Krickets can effortlessly straddle folk, bluegrass, country and Americana, and at the core they are a powerhouse ensemble who can write songs that are as catchy as they are emotionally poignant.
One of “Redbird” songwriters, Emily Stuckey Sellers, offers her own story behind the song:
“‘Redbird’ was written about a dream I continually had after my Grandmother passed away. In the dream she was always trying to whisper something important in my ear. Every time she would start to talk I could never understand what she was saying, and I’d wake up. While having these dreams I saw redbirds everywhere I went day after day. After she passed I had extreme feelings of guilt because I couldn’t be with her more, or cure her while she was sick. One evening while working on concepts for our upcoming album, I started playing this really solemn but moving guitar riff. Next thing I knew the dream I’d been having was now a song, later to be ‘Redbird’ (my grandmother). The dreams stopped after the song was written.”
Additionally, the band has offered a more in-depth story of inspiration behind the redbird and the concept for the video:
Folklore says seeing a redbird or a cardinal means you’re being visited by someone who has passed away and the video for redbird touches on the connection one feels with a love one after they’ve gone. Specifically in the video, this person is her grandmother coming to her in a dream trying to tell her something, but Emily keeps waking up before she can understand what her grandmother is trying to say. The frustration and contemplation she feels over the dream is reflected in the video through the music and flashback scenes with the character of her grandmother. The connection of showing them both sleeping in the same spot, walking the same steps, wearing the same heirloom ring are all supposed to drive home how strong their connection is.
The video was shot by Vivid Bridges Studios and Sunset Pictures Company with director Ben Rosenau. It was filmed partially in the Historic Port Theater in downtown Port St Joe, Fl and partially in a gorgeous old Florida mansion called the Steamboat House built in 1840. Long fabled to be haunted, this was the obvious choice for a supernaturally vibed music video. Crazy couple of stories around the house, a week prior, Lauren had been on vacation and decided to pick a beach read called The House on the Forgotten Coast. The southern gothic thriller was a great story, Lauren read it in a day and didn’t think another thing about it. The very next weekend, they arrived at the house the director scouted and chose without them ever having seen it. It. Was. the. Same. House. From. the. Book. (like the actual house the book was based on right down to the paintings on the wall. Lauren freaked and still isn’t over it)
The entire band has seen redbirds like crazy ever since they decided to make that song the album’s title track. The reason the director Ben chose the house was because while in the yard of the house, wondering which house to choose, a redbird came and landed right on the yard in front of his feet and looked at him.
WATCH:
Photo credit: Kaila Bruner
