Despite his last name, Travis Shallow’s music is anything but that.
The North Carolina based singer-songwriter and recording artist has a knack for depth, both in his lyrics and his production. It’s no wonder he’s played national opening spots for the legendary likes of Gregg Allman, Tedeschi Trucks Band, The Marcus King Band, and Todd Snider to name a few.
And today, the Americana songsmith has delivered his latest sonic achievement with a new music video for his reflective single, “Hard Time With the Truth.”
The single itself dropped March 31, and it’s got all the nostalgia, catharsis, and captivating instrumentation that makes Shallow’s music both uniquely his own and universally relatable all at once.
The video, shot and directed by Darwin Brandis, depicts a simple yet endearing slo-mo day in the life of the songwriter. From waking up, grabbing his Bowie mug, and acknowledging his Pearly Girl Records notepad with a list of to-dos relating to the song, there’s a sense of meta to the whole thing.
Shallow gets to the studio in an attempt to finish the track, but is conveniently sidetracked from a sentimental text, which leads him to bust out some old photos. If distractions and procrastination aren’t in the DNA of artists of all kinds, I don’t know what is. He eventually gets hit with inspiration again, and gets back into the groove of hammering out the track ’til nightfall.
All in all, the video displays a sense of reality, sentimentality, and a feeling of deep-rooted nostalgia.
Shallow began his musical career as a solo artist in 2002, amassing a fanbase from his performances at any and every local dive bar before venturing deeper into the flourishing North Carolina music scene. In 2011, he released his studio album Battered Wooden Body with his former band, A Few Good Liars. He left the band in 2012 to begin work on his first solo self-titled album, Travis Shallow, with the help of the reputable sound engineer Andrew Ratcliffe over at Tweed Recording Studio. It quickly gained significant critical acclaim in the southeastern United States.
Ratcliffe describes Shallow as, “a singer whose vocal personality is ultimately a category unto itself, like a Willie Nelson, an Otis Redding. He could sing anything and make it sound great, make it well worth listening to.”
Shallow performs for virtual audiences on his livestream series “Live from Shallow Chateau,” which he created during the pandemic. It was here where he debuted his 2020 single, “Let It Pass,” a warm reflection on piecing life back together after uproar.
Expect more to come from Shallow whether it be shows or new songs as we get deeper into the year.
Note* Paul Howard contributed to this article.
