When all your rowdy friends aren’t coming over tonight, then it’s time to get creative. For his new video, “Live It Up,” Nashville musician Joey Hyde turns the daily chore of walking the dog into an upbeat hang with his best friends.
He tells CMT.com, “Since we filmed the video content during Covid, all of my buddies directed and shot themselves. Everyone in the video either played or sang something on the recording, so it was really fun for me to have the whole team involved. Once they all shot their footage, I sifted through it all and time stamped the parts that I loved.”
If you’re a fan of Nashville’s songwriting community, then you’re sure to spot some familiar faces in this video. Enjoy “Live It Up,” then read our interview with Joey Hyde below the player.
What do you remember most about the shoot for this video?
To be completely honest, I hate anything that has to do with me being in front of a camera. On stage, bring it on. But cameras and me don’t have a tight relationship. My footage for the video is a first take, one continuous shot of me walking the dog. Simple. In and out. My wife was more impressive than I was. She had to film me on an iPhone walking backwards without tripping. And our dog Kizzy is an undeniable star.
How does the video bring your song to life?
I think this video is perfect for what’s going on in the world right now with the pandemic. I know I’ve been realizing areas in my life where I was wasting time doing shit I really didn’t want (or need) to do. Right now, people are excited to get back to seeing the people they love. Being able to hug one another. Not being scared. I think this video is gonna remind us all that everything is gonna be okay. We’ll be back to real life soon, but in the meantime, do something fun with the people you love.
How did it feel to see the finished product for the first time?
It was awesome. Like I said above, everyone in the video was also a part of the recording process. I loved seeing my buddies have fun with the video process, just like we did in the recording process.
What message do you hope your fans take away from the video?
Life kind of sucks right now, but it doesn’t mean you can’t find a way to enjoy it. Take some time to find those silver linings, and do something that makes you breathe a little easier.
Songwriters: Aaron Eshuis and Joe Clemmons; Director: Alex Ferrari