Video Premiere: Jesse Terry “Hanging the Stars”

“Maybe it’s enough if you can change one heart in this world,” sings Jesse Terry on his latest single, an anthem for touring musicians released in a time when regular live shows are impossible and that connection with fans is so hard to achieve.  ‘Hanging the Stars’ has a genuine, hopeful feel, built around a strong foot-tapping beat and Terry’s smooth and melodious delivery.  He is supported by an excellent group of players and, together, they create a full, rich and textured sound, excellently produced by Neilson Hubbard.

Terry is used to a relentless touring schedule and he explains how this experience shaped the new single: “‘Hanging The Stars’ is about my relationship with touring, and like many of the songs on the new album, ‘When We Wander’ is viewed from the lens of a touring family. The song talks about some of the negatives of touring and a troubadour lifestyle: endless highways, overly caffeinated late night drives, sketchy motels and the uncertainty of it all. But then it really dives into the great beauty of this job, the immense joy it can bring and the gratitude I feel for being able to do it with my wife and daughter. We’re hanging new stars every night and creating our own sky. After you’ve done this for a little while, you start seeing familiar faces all over the world and that’s a very cool thing. I can go back to a place like Newcastle every year and see these wonderful and warm faces in the audience. These connections are what makes it all so worthwhile and fulfilling. The faces and places become part of a bright and beloved constellation. That’s what gives my life purpose, and I wouldn’t be able to do this without having my family along for the journey. All of these words and feelings are inspired by a shared experience. I was thrilled to have my wife Jess star in the video. She is pretty shy by nature and doesn’t enjoy the spotlight, so it was extra cool to see her step on the video set and just light up the whole place. I was weak in the knees for the whole shoot!” 

‘Hanging the Stars’ is the second single from ‘When We Wander’, which is due to drop on 14th May.  It’s the seventh album from the Connecticut-born singer-songwriter and the first written since becoming a parent.  Originally scheduled for release last year, all the songs were written following a UK tour.  Then the pandemic hit and the adventures and memories remembered here have taken on new and different meanings.

This is a song that makes you want to dance, appropriate for its theme of performing, and the video, featuring husband and wife, Jesse and Jess, is a natural, beautiful thing to watch.  It’s infectious.  Check it out and look for the full album this May.