Nathan Jacques and Jessie Payo make a visit to ‘Lonesome Town’. This is the third instalment in Jacques ‘Borrowed Tales’ E.P. and video series. The video begins with host Desmond Montgomery III in a Masterpiece Theatre-style introduction that leads to the performance of the song. Shot in black and white, the set is simple but stunning. The sound of the track is lush but stark like the video imagery.
Reflecting on the project, Jacques says, “This project is a way to express and give thanks to some of my biggest influences while expanding my own universe, connecting it to my original works. I didn’t simply want to do a record of covers; I wanted to produce videos that paid detailed homage in various ways to the original song, artist, time period, story, and more. Borrowed Tales is a love letter to these songs in the most dramatic fashion I could think up.”
And further explains choosing this classic song to cover, “Ricky Nelson inspires my own writing as the pop-centric melodic voice of the ’50s country/western sound. Most of his tunes are upbeat, but certain ballads stand out like the renowned “Lonesome Town.” It captures the essence of loneliness better than most songs I’ve ever heard, which is a theme I often circle back to. I had dreamt of covering this song for years, and so it’s a privilege to get to release my rendition of the classic at long last. The tragic romanticism lended to a lighter voice being introduced, so I had the pleasure of bringing on Jessie Payo for support. Her hauntingly gorgeous vocals make the song all the more heartbreaking.”
The full ‘Borrowed Tales’ E.P. is due 25th August from Hidden Mountain Records.
