This new animated video from LadyCouch for their song, “Good God” is intense. It’s definitely not a “cartoon”. It’s got a little bit of everything 2020 has offered up, Coronavirus, California wildfires, civil unrest… it’s also really interesting to look at. Someone put a lot of creative effort into this; I especially like how the legs of the moving furniture touchdown on beat. It’s a brilliant video to match an equally brilliant song. LadyCouch features two lead vocalists – Keshia Bailey (Magnolia Sons) and Allen Thompson (The Allen Thompson Band) who joined forces to create a blues and soul infused rock band, featuring several other Nashville musicians you might recognize. They recently partnered with Nashville’s Café Rooster Records and have started releasing some music. Today in Liner Notes we’ll find out more about the band, this powerful song and video and when an album might be coming.
AnaLee: LadyCouch had been playing shows around Nashville for at least the last year or so, before the pandemic and you’ve recently started releasing some music! I’m so happy you have partnered with Sally Jaye and Brian Wright at Café Rooster Records. Tell us a little about what led to the formation of Lady Couch and a little about the musicians you’ve been playing and recording with.
Allen: Keshia and I have known each other for a long time & we’d always threatened to do something together. When our previous groups disbanded, it seemed like the best time to start anew. A lot of the crew from Allen Thompson Band came with us, but we also had a few new faces come into the fold. It’s been really exciting to watch this band grow from 2 people’s shared vision to 11 people’s shared vision.
AnaLee: Everything you’ve released so far sounds amazing, the recordings, the quality of the songs, the arrangements, everything. The video for “Good God” is so creative and the song is moving. Tell us about the song and how this video came to be.
Allen: Keshia and I wrote Good God over a year ago. It was about something more tangible and less universal back then. But times have changed, so we adapted the song and video to deal more with the problems we are all facing, as opposed to individual grievances. August Varustin did a great job with the animation. He really brought to life a lot of the emotions we’ve all been feeling these past few months.
Keshia: I feel as if “Good God” has kind of became our fight song. Anyone with a pulse has had a “what the hell is going on” moment in their life. This year has been nothing but “what the hell is going on.” So, when writing the song, we wanted to focus not on what has happened but how to move forward from whatever toxicity has infiltrated one’s world. The video really captures what we’ve all been doing this year; cruising along and trying to get through it.
AnaLee: You released another video for a song I’ve featured on The Local Brew a few times called “Foolish and Blue”. I just love a good heartbreak song, especially when it’s sung with so much passion that I can feel that pain! Why we are drawn to that I don’t know, but it sure feels good. Probably a question for a therapist… but for now, I was wondering if you are co-writing, or both writing individually or maybe a little of both? If you can, let us know when an album might be coming.
Allen: Keshia and I mostly write together, but the formula varies. Sometimes one of us will come to the other with an almost finished piece. Sometimes we’ll start a song together from scratch. We’ve just been letting the muse dictate what and how we work. I’ve also been writing with Bob Lewis a good bit. Some of those tunes have been for LadyCouch and some have been for other projects.
Keshia: I also love a good heartbreak song. When Allen and I wrote “Foolish and Blue”, I had been a little heart broken. Beyond the heartbreak I was writing a beautiful song with my best friend. Having that support, and singing through that heartache has made me a better person. It also has helped me continue to write with Allen and others from an honest place.
AnaLee: Allen, I’ve been a fan of your band for a long time now and I had the pleasure of seeing you, Keshia, sing with Magnolia Sons several times. The two of you together are magic and I wish you all the best in the New Year. Keep us posted when you release more new music!
LadyCouch: We’re big fans of yours. Hoping to do all the things in 2021 we wanted to do this year! Thank you!
LadyCouch - “Good God”
-Dg
LadyCouch – “Foolish and Blue”