Close on the heels of Barack Obama's presidential inauguration with its focus on public honesty and sacrifice, Kirsten Price's new music video shines a tender light on the human price paid by the Bush administration's war veterans.
We all know that life will never be the same for so many young urban men and women who left home searching for a better life in service to their country, but few artists are close enough to those who have served to feel the extended depth of its aftershock. In the combative style that is fast setting Price's work apart from the pack, she lays open the permanent wounds of war while carefully avoiding any blatant exploitation of human tragedy.
"Fall" hails from Guts & Garbage, Kirsten Price's debut solo release of 2008. The song was written by Price with production credits going to Raphael Saadiq, who recently received 3 Grammy nominations including best R&B album for his long-awaited 2008 release, The Way I See It -- featuring collaborations with Stevie Wonder and Joss Stone.
This is the first music video from Price's self-styled independent record label, KPI, and as such marks a dramatic departure, not the least of which is the bold new hair cut she sports in the video. "Sometimes you have to change what's on the outside to help change what's on the inside," remarked Price when commenting on her decision to completely shave off her long curly mane à la Britney Spears (minus the meltdown).
Fans will have to wait a few weeks before being able to download their own copy from iTunes, but those lucky enough to be in the path of her Tough Times '09 Tour dates will have the benefit of bypassing the internet altogether and experiencing her "ferocious rock-an-soul pipes" (Washington Post) live and direct in person.
With a couple more inches of hair on her head and several thousand miles to travel for her upcoming Tough Times '09 Winter Tour, Kirsten Price is in an infectiously upbeat mood. Anxious to get back on the road to kick off her 20-city coast-to-coast North American winter tour after a few months locked up in the recording studio, she has her work cut. With the exception of a couple of TV appearances on the Fox 2 Morning news and upcoming episodes documenting her Tough Times '09 Winter Tour, we may not get to see much of the artist until she unleashes her second solo offering which is scheduled for release later this year.
Evan Leone stars opposite the artist in the role of a young veteran soldier re-adjusting to life on the city streets, unable to escape from the demons of his wartime experiences. Directed by Jeff Kinght, the touching tale of tragedy and redemption was shot on location at the Brooklyn waterfront.
