See Courtney Marie Andrews Play Rodeo Clown in Whimsical ‘Irene’ Video
Courtney Marie Andrews had better stick to her singing career, because if the music video for her song “Irene” is any indication, she would make a terrible grocery store cashier. But she’d at least be fun to encounter, provided that you don’t mind being squirted with water while she rings up your purchase.
Like Andrews’ recent videos for “How Quickly the Heart Mends” and “Put the Fire Out,” “Irene” is directed by Josh Perrault, and like the latter of those other two, Andrews plays the free-spirited lead role. Whereas “Put the Fire Out” saw her on the open road driving an RV, in “Irene” she finds herself stuck working at a grocery store while she dreams of being a rodeo clown – a life that Andrew can appreciate, given she was working as a bartender while she wrote the material for her 2016 LP, Honest Life.
While the grocery store manager in the video isn’t amused by Andrews, her antics make for a perfect lighthearted accompaniment to the breezy, Laurel Canyon-styled song, the third track from Honest Life. She breaks out a clown nose, pretends that bananas are six-shooters, and gets caught reading cowboy magazines before finally going all out with a clown costume that’s stored in the trunk of her car. It’s a nice touch that Andrews’ moment-of-truth costume reveal syncs up with the line, “You gotta want it, Irene. Don’t follow any path half-heartedly.”
Honest Life was originally released in 2016 and made Rolling Stone Country‘s list of the 40 best country albums of 2016. On September 15th, Mama Bird Recording Co. and Fat Possum Records will partner to release Honest Life on limited edition green vinyl, accompanied by a 7-inch with two additional tracks, “Sea Town” and “Near You.”
Andrews performs at Pickathon in Happy Valley, Oregon on August 3rd before embarking on a month-long European tour later in the month.