Nashville's own Mary Bragg knows there's never just one thing holding you back. But it makes problems easier to think about sometimes.
Videos by Wide Open Country
In her brand new song "Lucky Strike," the Americana artist explore that feeling we've all had. You know, the one where you say to yourself, "Man, if just this one thing could go right for me, the rest will fall into place."
"The song is one part sincerity, one part sarcasm," Bragg tells Wide Open Country. "We all know there's no one thing that's going to put you out on top. But it sure can feel that way sometimes."
Bragg delivers that sentiment with smoky smooth vocals wrapped in subtly crunchy guitars and a plodding rhythm section. "I'm waiting on a magic man to wave a ticket from the palm of his hand," she sings in the chorus. She co-wrote the song with Liz Poston.
To capture that vibe, Bragg and frequent co-writer Becky Warren headed to a carnival in Madison, Tenn. to shoot the video. The setting plays perfectly into Bragg's intention for the song. "We're all just waiting on that one shot that's gonna win the prize, aren't we?" Bragg asks.
Check out the exclusive premiere of the video below.
And since we know you're wondering, yes, she did take some time to enjoy the games. You can even see it in the video, when Bragg throws darts at balloons. (The stuffed animal in the next shot is her hard-earned reward).
Much of Bragg's upcoming record, Lucky Strike, focuses on similar battles fought during those coming-of-age years.
"I spent my 20s in New York City searching for something bigger than the life I'd known up to that point," Bragg says. "The city pushed me to appreciate rejection and anonymity, being just one of millions of dreamers, sorting through the internal response you experience when someone doesn't really see or acknowledge you."
So when Bragg moved to Nashville in 2014, she held a stronger grasp on herself than before. Lucky Strike marks her fourth album, but first recorded in town. She recorded her first two in New York City in 2007 and 2011. A third, in 2015, she recorded in Oakland. And she recorded her latest in a "backyard barn" studio.
"The microphones are old," she says. "Not 'vintage old' — just old." But on "Lucky Strike," they certainly suit Bragg just fine. Check out the full album when Lucky Strike drops on May 5.
