Husband and wife duo Beth // James bring the fun in the charming new video for their single ‘Shake it Out’. Mikaela Beth and Jordan James Burchill met while studying jazz at the University of North Texas and the duo are now firmly embedded in the Austin music scene. Together, the pair are perfecting a brand of energetic folk-pop that feels fresh and new.
This upbeat, foot-tapping song is an absolute delight, designed to brighten your day. From its retro visual stylings to its warm smiles and dynamic dancing, this is utterly joyful to watch from start to finish. Indeed, Beth, Burchill and their friends dance with gleeful abandon, taking us with them all the way. There’s a brilliant moment, right at the end of the video, when everyone freezes before erupting with laughter and this unselfconscious, collective happiness sums up the song. There’s a powerful, foot-tapping beat, over which an infectious melody dances and the performance is all about energy and playfulness. Stylistically, there’s all sorts in here: the sounds of folk-rock, jangling indie and a heart of breezy pop are fused together into a song of escape, all the more accessible because the language feels real: “Girl get the rosé // Let’s make it a holiday // Don’t think about a damn thing…and if I’m wasting time // I wanna waste it with you.”
The pair told us about creating the video: “Lately, we’ve been interested songs that don’t take themselves too seriously so we wanted this one to just be carefree. Pure fun. It’s basically about working all day on emails and constantly being bombarded with screens. The feeling of just wanting to cut loose, hangout, and not think about anything. We wanted this video to feel like a fun, retro house party. The first half of the video was shot at an airstream in South Austin and the dance party scene was actually shot in our living room! We moved all the furniture, hung a ton of streamers and invited all our friends over. Mikaela choreographed the dance at the end and didn’t tell anyone they were learning a dance until they got to the shoot, ha ha. We were happily surprised when everyone gave it their all and absolutely killed it!”
‘Shake it Out’ is the third single from the forthcoming record ‘Get Together’, which is due out on 3rd June. Look out for it. We live in uncertain times in a world seemingly full of troubles. Songs like this, songs that bring a smile and allow us some escape, are so very welcome. Enjoy and dance along.
