At the end of the month, Charley Crockett is due to release a highly-anticipated new album, ‘Welcome to Hard Times’. To whet our appetites, here is the latest single from the forthcoming record. ‘Run Horse Run’ gallops along, a rhythmic, haunting song accompanied by a terrific video, which is part of a series of cinematic spaghetti western-style releases. Once again, Crockett plays a loner wandering and sprinting through the wilderness. The old clock and yellow phone seen in previous videos again make an appearance, adding a sense of mystery.
Crockett explains the inspiration behind the song: “When I’m in Las Vegas I like to sit at the bar and watch all the races on the screens inside the Wynn Casino. There’s a comfort I find in knowing those horses are running. I remember watching people place bets on the races in the French quarter. All the old time gamblers pouring over the newspapers trying to get a fix on who’s thoroughbred was gonna come through. It’s a wild chance to take because with horses it’s really anybody’s guess. And there’s so many different ways to bet. There’s a lot of cheating going on too. A champion horse might retire to green pastures. The forgotten one’s don’t always fair so good. That reminds me a lot of the game I’m playing. I feel like those race horses, coming out of nowhere from the back of the line, all the odds against you. You better watch out too because you might look over your shoulder to see me behind you thinking you’re winning but really you’re just about to get lapped. In horse racing anything can happen and the ones who start out first might end up last.”
Crockett made the new album after life-saving heart surgery, which inspired him to take stock and focus on a vision for the record he really wanted to make. He says: “I look at that scar and all I can think about is the limited amount of time I’ve got left, I wanted to make an album that would try to reclaim the conversation about country music.”
Brilliantly shot and atmospheric, this video will certainly generate plenty of conversation about Crockett and country music. Check it out.
