This one will get your toes tapping.
If you’re not familiar with Illinois native David Quinn, it’s time to change that. With a “Black Dirt Country” sound reminiscent of guys like Tyler Childers, John Prine, Sturgill Simpson, and even some Merle Haggard in there too, David’s music is full of incredible midwest storytelling set to a musical backdrop heavy on the fiddle and steel.
He just released his third album, Country Fresh, on April 15. And today we’re pumped to bring you the first look at the music video from the new album, for one of the standout tracks “Low Down.”
It’s a bootstomper for sure, but the lyrics tell a story of somebody who can never seem to find a place where they want to put down roots:
“Well every time I’m leavin’ here
Tired and lonesome and mean
I never quit my rowdy ways
‘Til I lay down my soul to sleep
Ties that bind ain’t ever mine
Living wild and free
I never find a peace of mind
Home ain’t no place for me”
Speaking on the song and the inspiration for the video to go along with it, David said that it comes from the same feeling of never being comfortable in once place that he felt until recently:
“Low Down” is a song about leaving. It’s about never really finding a home and always moving on to the next. Until recently I had never really been comfortable in one place and that’s where this song came from.
The director (Andreé Brown ) had the idea for this video and I liked it. The meaning of this song ties into the narrative of the story because all of these characters are haggard. Even the character I play (bartender) has had enough by the end of the video.”
And while David’s from the midwest, he says that the song was influenced by artists from all over – from Bakersfield to Texas and Appalachia.
“The track was influenced by some of my favorite artists, like Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, and Sturgill Simpson. My goal in writing it was to communicate the feeling of wanting to leave and wanting a fresh start. I wanted the song to have a little bit of that energy and angst to it.
I write a lot of songs about leaving because I am often doing so. When I wrote it, a while ago, I was dealing with not really ever having a place to call home and often wearing out my welcome wherever I went.
One of my good friends and fellow songwriter, Mallory Eagle, came down to the shoot just to hang out and ended up becoming the star of the show. I love how she ends up getting away with all the money in the end.”
Well even if David did finally find a place to call home now, it seems like he’s not going to be there a whole lot because he does a ton of touring, having played with names like Mike & the Moonpies and the Vandoliers in the past, and currently on tour opening up for Kentucky’s Jeremy Pinnell.
If you’re not yet familiar with David’s music, “Low Down” is a great place to start.
Just make sure you dig into the rest of the album – and the rest of his catalog – after you finish that one. Because there’s some great stuff in there just waiting for you to hear it.
