The Vegabonds Share Story Behind “When The Smoke Clears Up”

Updated:

February 28, 2020 2:03 pm

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Alabama-born, Tennessee-bred Southern Roots-Rock Quintet, The Vegabonds, kicked off 2020 with a new music video for ”When The Smoke Clears Up.” The video breathes life into a central song from their 2019 album, V.

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The Vegabonds’ latest video reveals a lesser-known love story with poignant cinematography and relatable, defining moments of a relationship. “Every day is not rainbows and butterflies, and I wanted to capture the emotion of sacrifice, struggle, but most importantly, loyalty and commitment,” shared vocalist Daniel Allen.

Produced by Kirby Sybert, the footage flips between scenes of arguments and forgiveness, walking away, only to turn right back around. The film unfolds to tell the real story of love. One that doesn’t waiver through tough times.

“The song resonated hard with me,” Sybert remarked. “It spoke to me about being there with your person no matter what happens. I wanted to explore a relationship between two people but shoot it in a really expressive way, to show the extremes that we go through in relationships.”

Sybert explored the role of lighting as it pertains to visual perception and its influence over mood and tone. Dimly lit scenes outline feelings of anger and frustration, followed by bright moments of clarity when “the smoke clears up”, and emotions balance back.

“My hope is that people see themselves in this video and appreciate what they have with their own significant other and the journey that we all go on together,” shared Sybert.

“When The Smoke Clears Up” encapsulates the thematic relatability of V. The album was produced by Tom Tapley, who worked previously with Blackberry Smoke, Sugarland, Mastodon. V reverberates The Vegabonds’ unconventional brand of Americana music. This fifth studio release solidifies the distinctive sound that carried them from a college performance circuit to soldout shows across the US over the last decade.

“I hope fans hear stories in the album,” Allen remarked. “We are in a very unique time in history, and this album touches on the struggle of everyday folks doing their best to navigate love, work, beliefs, and the ever-changing politics that flood our lives daily.”

The Vegabonds are fronted by lead vocalist and songwriter Daniel Allen, with Richard Forehand (lead guitar/vocals), Paul Bruens (bass), Beau Cooper (keys/vocals), and Bryan Harris (drums).

Listen to V here and check out their 2020 tour dates here.