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While Touring in Alaska, Jamie Floyd Captures a Moment in "Life's a Party"

A magical surprise brings its message to life.

Some people come in and out of your life in the same ways they come and go to a party. That’s the idea that Nashville singer-songwriter Jamie Floyd brought to her first co-writing session with Josh Grider and Bobby Hamrick. The poignant song is now a centerpiece of Floyd's EP, NEW GIRL, as well as the inspiration for the project’s first music video -- shot in Kenai, Alaska, with a wonderful midnight surprise.

One of Nashville's most in-demand independent songwriters, Floyd has placed cuts with Ingrid Andress, Kesha, Ashley Monroe, and Hayden Panettiere (on the Nashville soundtrack). She's also been a part of feature films, TV movies, the cable series Real Country, and a musical that's now in development. Without a doubt, there will be plenty more party invitations ahead.

Take a look at "Life's a Party," then read our interview with Jamie Floyd below the player.

What do you remember most about the shoot for this video?

I actually played a solo acoustic 90-minute set on the same night we shot it... and we DID shoot this video LATE at night on the beaches of Kenai, Alaska -- the summer skies there stay lit through most of the night because the sun only sets for a few hours. I think they told me it gets darkest between 2 and 4 a.m.!

What I remember most: during the final moments of shooting, a double rainbow appeared out of nowhere across the sky. It had been raining before we started and we were hoping the weather would hold out. Not only did it hold out, it was more beautiful than we could have ever asked for.

I was already standing under the midnight sunshine, then the surprise rainbows gave off an energy that lined up seamlessly with the meaning of the song and felt like the kind of thing you only ever have the chance to be there for and capture once. The song is about how life has a way of totally surprising you out of nowhere, so, to have shot “Life’s a Party” under a double rainbow in the middle of the night in Alaska felt pretty magical.

How does the video bring your song to life?

We could never have scripted or planned for this video to play out the fateful way it did! “Life’s a Party” is a song about love finding you, yes, but to me it’s really just a reminder that we never know what’s right around the corner for us, for better or for worse. The video plays out to match the song -- first you watch the clouds start to disappear, the sun follows, and eventually sets as a rainbow no one saw coming, stretches across the sky.

I lost my best friend, my grandfather Rick ‘Sonny’ Bottari, who I did not get to say goodbye to, in mid-July. And so this song and now the release of the video, has taken on an even deeper meaning for me. For my grandfather, life truly was a party and I’m celebrating him, how he lived his life and the beautiful future I believe is ahead, even in the midst of the heartache of losing him.

What message do you hope your fans take away from the video?

I hope fans hear this song and are reminded, especially as we face a completely different world than any of us are used to -- to stay open-minded and open-hearted to whatever is coming next...that life can and will surprise you, so stay hopeful.

How did it feel to see the finished product for the first time?

I was completely blown away by Josiah Martin’s vision for this video and again by what he ultimately put together -- how it so exactly captured what I had dreamed of for this song. Watching it was also very emotional for me because it gave me this overwhelming feeling that I am doing exactly what I should be doing with my life -- singing and writing songs like this one.


Songwriters: Jamie Floyd, Josh Grider, Bobby Hamrick; Director: Josiah Martin of Martin Media

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