Hot Buttered Rum, a souped-up, left-coast string band, is the brainchild of five uniquely gifted musicians who weave their love of bluegrass, folk, jazz and soul into a riveting strain of Americana. String bass and five-alarm fiddle merge with guitar, banjo, mandolin and drums to frame the voices of its two contrasting writers, fueling a dance party with roots in Appalachia and its branches in California. It’s a sound that’s as tough to describe as it is easy to love. Nearly twenty years into its journey, HBR’s music, dreamed up in the backcountry of the High Sierra and the basements of San Francisco, has found its way into the hearts, minds and bodies of fans nationwide. The band continues to tour year-round in support of its many albums and social causes.
Like a long, dark piece of music, the pandemic started small, then got big, and loud, and painfully dissonant. Hot Buttered Rum did their best to cope with its indignities, as most did, and much of that coping was done through the business of making lots and lots of noise. The songs that emerged from all this noise-making are a little louder than any the band has released to date in what became the latest album, Shine All Night. Hot Buttered Rum hopes to help provide some cheer in the times ahead, whether those times are brighter, darker or, as so often, somewhere in between.
Today Glide is excited to offer an exclusive premiere of their video for “No Reason Why,” one of the standout tracks on the new album. With downhome harmonies and some damn fine picking, the song is a sentimental work of folk-grass that finds the band favoring strong lyricism and catchy melodies over the more expansive jams of their live shows. Reminiscent of Trampled By Turtles with a soulful touch from the organ, the song feels like the perfect soundtrack for a fall music festival. The animated video offers a dreamy visual to complement the music and pull on your heartstrings.
The band describes the inspiration behind the song and video:
‘No Reason Why’ is a weird, dreamy song, and I’m so glad it got a weird, dreamy video to help it tell its story! Josh’s slatey palette here lulls me into the tune’s wee morning hours and speaks to its sad, goofy soul. I love seeing everyone’s line-drawn avatars jamming in their pj’s, and especially dig the shots of Nat and Ben walking, princely, around our tiny planetoid. Josh’s animation work here captures the story of this song better than any live-action version could. I learned a lot about my tune by watching it!
WATCH:
