Something inspiring for the weekend courtesy of Rolling Stone Country who report: “Days after performing “All Around You” alongside the Dap-Kings’ horn section during the 2017 Grammy Awards, Sturgill Simpson has released a new music video for the single. Like the clips for “Brace for Impact (Live a Little)” and “In Bloom,” which helped whip up attention for Simpson’s Grammy-winning A Sailor’s Guide to Earth one month before its April 2016 release date, “All Around You” was directed by Matt Mahurin.
The video stars a young boy — a representation of Simpson’s own son, perhaps, for whom much of A Sailor’s Guide to Earth was written — who walks the earth in a superhero’s mask and cape. His weapon? A golden, super-sized heart that he brandishes like a shield. His enemies? Tanks, fighter jets and a shadowy politician whose shape bears a close resemblance to President Trump, raising his fists high above a pedestal flanked by bullhorns. One by one, the kid strikes down his adversaries. Love trumps hate, in other words – especially when the heart acts as a glowing doorway in an imposing wall, allowing immigrants to walk through.
With its mix of grungy animation, human actors, earth-toned landscapes and bright splashes of color, the video pairs well with Mahurin’s previous clips for Simpson, tying together a group of videos that are as unified and left-of-center as A Sailor’s Guide to Earth itself. Meanwhile, with performances on Saturday Night Live and the Grammys behind him, Simpson is ready to hit the road once again. His newly announced summer tour includes headlining stops at Colorado’s Red Rocks, L.A.’s Greek Theatre and even a one-off Japan performance at the Fuji Rock Festival.
