"Farther Grasses" Music Video Release

Two years ago July, my (Mallory) person-- a man who stepped in for me two decades before and insisted on being a father, a friend, and a consistent love and support-- was dying of complications of bone marrow cancer. We were on tour in Colorado, parked at an abandoned house our friend York owned in Fort Collins, CO. I woke up early the day before my father's birthday-- a birthday I always note against my best efforts not to, for the estrangement that radiates between my dad and I, and has for years. I felt compelled early in the morning to go outside. I took my dog, Puddle, and walked about the premise, and as I was coming around the corner of the house, there was a stag standing there, statue still, staring at us just a few feet away. The mass and proximity of him stopped both me and Puddle completely still. Then something strange happened-- we all stayed that way, for several moments. I had time to suddenly calm down. Then, the deer snorted, turned slowly, and ran away. I knew at that moment that Tom wasn't going to make it. I got a call a couple hours later from his wife (my friend) Ann-- they were moving him to hospice. The next morning I woke up from a dream about the deer and about Tom having written this song within the dream. It was still dark outside, and the song was complete by sunrise.

Here I was parked at a house that nobody lived in, while my person was being moved to another house that nobody lives in-- where people only stay for a short while before moving on.

A couple days later, he was gone.

When we asked Jono Edwards to team up with us again for this music video, we knew that The Honey Badgers would already be on tour with us when we got to Colorado, and that he was the exact right person for the job. His eye for nature, for slowing down-- both the film and in spirit, as well as his calm supportive demeanor felt like a great match. His enthusiasm for the song, at first I thought was just kindness (he's got it in spades). But the more we talked, the more I realized he got it. He chose our location to film at Bobcat Ridge Natural Area in Fort Collins. From the pictures, it looked good. In real life, it was stunning. And there on the land, there is an old cabin from the 1800s that nobody lives in, preserved and for common use. We spent the morning filming starting at just before sunrise (extra thanks to Jono and Erin who are both not morning people), taking a long walk and capturing along the way. And sometimes, we would all just stop in awe of the beauty of it. We finished at the cabin. And just as we were beginning to wrap, I looked up behind Jono & Scott and saw it-- a stag, there on the ridgeline. I could hardly speak. It wasn't as close as the one I'd seen two years before, but it was as significant. I pointed, motioning, until they finally quit trying to guess what I was saying and saw. We were shocked, Jono moved, and we all watched as he filmed. And that deer stayed, as if it were the star of the show, for long minutes before running away. Of course, I cried. Scott came up beside me and said, "Tom did it again." It's what we were all thinking-- here was just another message that we were on the right track. That somewhere, he was shaking his head, smiling at what we were doing and saying "Damn, kid, that's so cool. Keep going." And so I whispered, "Thanks, Tom" as the deer ran away.

This record wasn't supposed to happen. Two of the songs were recorded partially previous to our time in Nashville this January with The Honey Badgers as part of a larger rock'n'roll record we were going to put out. But we couldn't, because grief sometimes stops you in your tracks and tells you to pay attention right here and now. So we did, and every step along the way to releasing Winter Hare has been confirmation that we made the right choice. Rock'n'roll can wait another year. The synchronicity of following your (he)Art is incomparable. 

In the editing of this film, Jono experienced his own set of grief-- a story we'll let him tell later down the road. But this little music video, this piece of art for our art we made together, worked intrinsically as it had when I first wrote the song from a dream as a center of healing, or a road to it at least. Or maybe just the sign that says-- Stop. Wait. Don't move any further. Listen.

We are proud to present our music video for the song "Farther Grasses" today. We hope it brings whatever message you need.

"Farther Grasses" is the first single from the upcoming EP Winter Hare by The Rough & Tumble featuring The Honey Badgers.

Written by Mallory Graham & Scott Tyler.

Performed by The Rough & Tumble & The Honey Badgers

Recorded at Howard's Apartment Studio in East Nashville, TN by Dave Coleman. Mastered by Alex McCullough at True East Mastering in East Nashville, TN

Filmed & Edited by Jono Edwards Creative at Bobcat Ridge Natural Area in Fort Collins, CO.