NEW MUSIC VIDEO: Whatever Makes You Happy
MEDIA RELEASE: John Flanagan releases a brand new video for the first single ‘Whatever Makes You Happy’ from forthcoming album ‘There’s Another Way to Where You’re Going’. The track, about surviving the end of a relationship with an open heart, comes to life in this music video which captures the ups and downs of a relationship and the spirit of beginning again. Director Adrian Brown was inspired by the energy and emotion of the song and based the film around a concept of including the camera as the ‘observing self’ of the lead male character, which the characters interact with as an entity. Actors Jeremy Hopkins and Rowena Wise – well known Melbourne musicians in their own right – display an on screen chemistry and offer a glimmer of ‘the private space’, making for an engaging and voyeuristic journey through the story of the song. The single was co-written with NSW based musician Timothy James Bowen and recorded in Nashville with Viktor Krauss, combining John’s signature 70s folk singer/songwriter influences with a contemporary Americana sound. Featuring vocal harmonies from alt-country songstress Brooke Russell, the track hits the ground running with a driving Nashville rhythm section and atmospheric piano and electric guitar lines. Of the forthcoming album set for release in February 2016, Flanagan says “There’s Another Way to Where You’re Going ties together stories of the outsiders: the lonely, the heartbroken and those who aren’t afraid to step aside from the mainstream. The moments of sadness intertwine with the uplifting to create an overarching message of acceptance and change.” Flanagan’s engaging, honest lyricism and timeless melodies have seen him win over fans at major folk festivals around Australia and he won the respect of the Australian country & roots music scene when he took out the prestigious Gympie Music Muster Talent Search in 2013. He currently plays alongside festival favourite Liz Frencham and bluegrass virtuoso Dan Watkins in a dynamic trio characterised by warm vocal harmonies and impressive acoustic arrangements. Flanagan’s new video ‘Whatever Makes You Happy’ is out now. He releases second single ‘High on High’ on Fri 4 Dec 2015 and the new album ‘There’s Another Way to Where You’re Going’ is out in Feb 2016.