It takes an artist with a soul to understand the soul of a city. Nashville-based soul/pop artist Elliott Blaufuss has done just that with his new single, “Nashville.” Out today, “Nashville” arrives with a music video that portrays an authentic and fitting representation of a city dealing with massive expansion and migration. Blaufuss composed the video as a visual montage, capturing many of the city's vibrant neighborhoods.
The song embodies the melting pot of melodious styles, genres, and personalities that Music City lives and breathes. Whether it’s the hipsters in East or the boujee business professionals in the Gulch, “Nashville” incorporates it all.
The single was influenced by list-form and stream-of-consciousness writing from the likes of Bob Dylan and Jack Kerouac. “I've been observing my neighborhood for years now and wanted to tell some of that story, but mostly I wanted to give an honest portrait of my time here in Nashville,” says Blaufuss.
“The track is one of the more unique songs we’ve heard this year,” says Jake Craney of GroundSounds. “It serves as a kaleidoscopic portrait of Nashville. It’s straightforward and easy to follow, but there’s so much detail packed in – you’ll definitely want to watch it more than once.”
Recorded at Southern Heat Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, Blaufuss constructed the song and played all the instruments himself. Bringing in Minneapolis natives Pat Nelson [drums] and Adam Schmitt [pedal steel] to help record the single, “Nashville” meshes Blaufuss’ hometown roots and admiration for Music City to create a pop anthem for residents of the metropolitan area.
While serving as a sideman and musical director for Gavin DeGraw, Eric Hutchinson and Philip Philips, Blaufuss learned to lean into his passion for music. “Watching them spread their light and love through their own stories has emboldened me to do the same,” says Blaufuss. “It's also something inside that has been gnawing at me since I wrote my first song and will never go away. It could be ego or genuine love, but I also really just want to move people's molecules and make ‘em dance.”
This passion can be found in the roots of influences such as Earth, Wind & Fire, The Allman Brothers, James Taylor, Ray Charles, and other music left of center like a Barnum & Bailey’s Circus record Blaufuss used to play all the time as a kid. “The funk is deep in my blood, but I've always loved Telecasters and great country songs. It's all in me,” says Blaufuss.
