Patrick Sweany is the kind of guy people say things like “your favorite musician’s favorite musician” about. He’s damned easy-going, quick to smile, and a goddamned good guitarist and songwriter. How good? So good that a certain Black Key used to be the guitar player in his band, and went on to produce a couple albums for him.
On his latest record, Daytime Turned to Nighttime, he’s relaxed a little, settled into his role as a Southern gentleman, and the laconic tunes seep sincerity as much as they do musical dexterity. This track, “First of the Week,” is dirty and bluesy in all the right ways, but doesn’t fail to impress. As for the video, well, just watch it for yourself, but... Wow.
Here’s what Patrick had to say about it:
“The directors and I discussed how to take the story of the song, which is specific and literal, without just falling on trite ‘band on the road’ imagery. Several approaches were discussed, but nothing seemed effective until the subject of professional wrestling came up. Immediately we agreed this was the perfect vehicle for the story. It’s Southern, without being regionally exclusive. There’s conflict, there’s drama, there’s camaraderie, and there’s that working person’s humility and acceptance of circumstance without surrender. I think we carried the message of the song to the screen, in a way that really bring the human-ness to the visual medium.”