Ethan Baker – Memphis Flyer

“I moved to Memphis from Louisiana in 2018 mainly for the music scene,” says Chris Hamlett. “I immediately knew I had made the right choice. Venues were willing to put me on shows with some of my favorite artists. Then I met Mike Hewlett & the Racket. We put out a split vinyl together, and we all thought we’d be able to tour behind it. Then the proverbial rug got pulled out from under everyone.”

The pandemic was (and is) hard on everyone, but musicians had a particularly difficult time. Not only was their livelihood tied to live appearances, but it’s the human connection of live music that motivates and inspires musical artists. Hamlett’s 2020 experience may sound familiar. “I spent the lockdown drinking way more than anyone should, wishing I could get back on a stage. The song ‘Wasted a Whole Year’ is a double entendre, referring to not only drinking my way through the pandemic, but also feeling like I (and everyone else) was robbed of that entire span of time.”

Hamlett recorded the song with Hewlett producing and playing percussion, and Ethan Baker on violin. Shane Ellis directed the video, which was shot in the Midtown music mecca of the Hi Tone. If you like what you hear, Hamlett has a Kickstarter project to crowdfund his next record. So check it out, and be generous to the music makers who are still recovering from their wasted year.

If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.

Oakwalker’s song “Future Lover” has the easygoing lilt of a Laurel Canyon ballad from the 1970s, but listen to the lyrics and you’ll hear a uniquely twenty-first century sentiment. Singer/songwriter Victoria Dowdy says she “…wrote the song in a stream-of-consciousness style about the financial and existential anxiety that often ruins the societal plans and standards that are expected of Millennials. It hits on the themes of working-class people’s anxiety about making a living being higher on their list of concerns than finding a partner, or at least on par with it.”

The song was recorded at Sun Studios (you’ll see Dowdy sporting the iconic logo shirt in the video) by Crockett Hall and mastered by Matt Qualls. Dowdy and Ethan Baker, the core of the group, were joined by bassist Tyler Marberry and drummer Graham Winchester.

Filmmaker Yubu Kazungu directed the video, which puts Dowdy behind the bar at Midtown’s favorite dive, the Lamplighter.

“Future Lover was a joy to shoot. The main focus was to capture Oakwalker (Victoria and Ethan) in their natural element,” says Kazungu. “Their chemistry together on stage is beyond captivating, and I wanted viewers to experience that while watching the video. The rest of the narrative written by Victoria and Ethan played out especially well in the dive bar atmosphere provided by
the Lamplighter. Working with musicians who understand who they are and what they’re about, makes any director’s work easier!”

“He made the video on a short deadline and did a fantastic job,” says Dowdy. Take a look!

If you’d like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.