Indie folk singer-songwriter Briston Maroney has released new single “Freeway” and its video, and it’s a breath of fresh air in these dark timelines. The 22-year-old artist takes us on a dazzling journey down the Maine coastline, with caving expeditions and a blissful boat ride from a first-person POV. For a few precious minutes, we can pretend like we’re not locked in our apartments!
The clip was directed by Joey Brodnax, who has worked with Maroney in the past. In it, Maroney is every bit the young, curious twentysomething, exploring the gorgeous scenery with dynamic enthusiasm that can’t help but uplift. There are witty moments, too, like when he can’t can’t a hitchhiking ride, and you feel his humor in his lyrics. “Consider this my confession/ Your love’s my obsession/ Go ahead and sentence me to love,” he croons with an earnest smile, as he bounces through hazy beaches. His Americana sound is buoyed by acoustic guitars and organ keyboard sounds — an honestly refreshing palette to hear when the country is gripped by chaos.
Check it out down below. Please note that the video contains a strobe warning for people with photosensitive epilepsy.
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Maroney’s musical chops and resumé belie his age. At 15, he appeared on American Idol and made it through to Hollywood, and though he didn’t progress further, his career took off in earnest when he self-released two EPs in 2017, Reason to Shake and Big Shot. His 2019 EP Carnival was followed by this year’s Miracle, and in spite of the pandemic, he’s steadily kept up the momentum with singles “The Garden” and “Deep Sea Diver”.
The Knoxville-bred artist is expected to release his first full-length album in 2021, and it will include “Freeway”. The single, like the previous aforementioned songs, was produced by John Congleton (St. Vincent, Angel Olsen) and co-written by Dan Wilson (The Chicks, Adele).
