To accompany the nationwide radio release of his single, “Free Will in China Blue,” Sun King Rising has also released the song’s official music video.
Drawn from his debut album, “Delta Tales,” and directed by Dante Ludovici, the video is a visually spectacular feast of the Sun King Rising Band performing the song in a studio setting with dancer Meghan Greenwood playing the role of “The Temptress.” It also features aerial footage of the artist performing the song on a picturesque farm that serves as the ostensible setting of the story.
Sun King Rising’s John Blangero said, “Director Dante Ludovici has ably captured my cinematic vision of the story and its underlying tension, with the lovely Meghan Greenwood dancing and entrancing throughout the story, costumed in a flowing China blue dress. Produced and filmed in Pittsburgh, the day was a total blast, with most of the SKR Studio Band who played on the ‘Free Will’ single and on the upcoming ‘Signs & Wonders’ album performing the song in the video.”
This song itself has been garnering 5-star reviews around the world. “The record sounds freakin’ fantastic…tons of personality, tons of charisma, the vocals are beyond brilliant, and his entire sound, style, and vibe are massively memorable,” wrote one critic.
Recorded live in a studio just outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, “Free Will in China Blue” features a full complement of A-List horn players, backup singers, and studio players. No loops, no samples, no autotune. This is true of the entire 11-song album.
Watch “Free Will In China Blue” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtjvHmhsoXo.
The creation of songwriter/singer John Blangero of Port Isabel, Texas, who composed most of its songs, and produced by Pittsburgh’s Ace Acker, the single and the album strongly evoke the imagery and feel of a somewhat mythical, yet very real land centered in the fabled area along the Mississippi River called “The Delta.” If William Faulkner and Tennessee Williams had been songwriters, they might have written songs much like those of Sun King Rising.
Filmed largely in a Pittsburgh, PA studio, the video metaphorically tells the song’s tale of temptation, sin, and redemption through the sensual interaction of Blangero and Greenwood, accompanied by the 10-piece Sun King Rising Band.
Video Production Credits:
Steve Acker: Line Producer Sun King Rising
Production Design/Management: The Video Standard, LLC
Dante Ludovici: Director/DP/DIT/LD Sequencing/Editor/CGI
Daniel McMullen: Jib Operator
Thomas Vandevander: Key Grip/Camera/BTS
Ryan Peters: Motion Control Camera/ First AC
Andi Smalley: HMU
Website: https://www.sunkingrising.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SunKingRising
Bandcamp: https://peacocksunriserecords.com/project/sun-king-rising/
PSR: https://peacocksunriserecords.com/sun-king-rising/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3VYK4IV3S5JS6m2y8D9Q1y