Alt. Americana band Foxfeather showcases a poignant resilience in spite of painful circumstances with their new music video for “End Of My Rope,” releasing on February 17th. The single released in fall 2021, earning itself a reputation as a fan and band favorite in that time. The video tells the story of a woman at her breaking point who challenges adversity with an electric confidence; for co-writers Carly Ricks Smith and Laura Stratton, “the lyrics come from a place of deep betrayal and pain, fleshed out after years of trying to make it work in an industry that all too often objectifies and belittles women.” Foxfeather filmed the video for this feminist anthem at Gold Hill, Colorado’s The Gold Hill Inn in collaboration with Kreation Films.
The video takes place in an old fashioned tavern gleaming with a western charm. While lead vocalist Carly Ricks Smith confronts frustrating interactions between nettlesome men at the bar with an intrepid moxie, she eventually finds herself in the support of a group of fearless women empowered and ready to stand up for themselves. "I'm vicious, this is a warning," Ricks Smith sings in the chorus, foreshadowing the video’s epic swell into a climactic scene capturing the bite of a woman that has endured her limit of mistreatment. The co-writers sat down and wrote "End of My Rope" in a stroke of poetic irony, which for them, is often when they create their best work. After a particularly difficult transitional year, including big changes in the band line-up, Ricks Smith and Stratton felt disheartened and disheveled. The video for “End of My Rope” captures that same sentiment and reclaims control of a troublesome narrative with grit and grace.
More About Foxfeather:
Foxfeather is a sultry, alt-americana band founded in 2013 in Boulder, CO. Beginning with a lyrical base, and bolstered by strong blues-rock instrumentals, Foxfeather’s unique sound captivates their audience. Songwriters Carly Ricks Smith and Laura Paige Stratton met in high school, connecting over their shared love of music. The pair began writing together in 2005 and have been creating material for, and leading their band for the past 7 years. Foxfeather is extremely proud of being an advocate of women in art and in business, and strives to motivate and empower other women and allies through song. The band is a local staple in the Colorado Front Range and also tours nationally.
In 2014, with the help of engineer Justin Roth of Fort Collins, the group released their debut EP, Foul Moon. The six-song collection garnered local attention, with The Marquee stating that “the group is overflowing with talent” and “Carly Ricks Smith has a spectacular voice which lies somewhere between the folky soprano of a young Joni Mitchell and the jazz-heavy range of Lake Street Dive’s Rachel Price. powerful as well as delicate.”
Foxfeather returned to the studio in 2016 to record and release their self-titled and full length album, Foxfeather. Working with producer Jagoda of New York and engineer Jay Elliott of Boulder’s own IntroVertigo Studios, the band created this dark and dusky album. The album features a collection of songs that explore the grey areas of life, whiskey, love and death.
2018 brought the release of a four song EP collection, Come and Get Me. The band again worked with Jagoda and Jay Elliott, but split the process between IntroVertigo Studios and Fox Run Studios in Boston. Smith and Stratton were able to show their versatility through this project, with the four songs showcasing the breadth of their voice and of their songwriting abilities.
Foxfeather is set to release their newest album in 2022 through PS Audio and Octave Records. The full length album, entitled “The Nature of Things,” features the current band line-up and additional musicians Kate Farmer (backing vocals), Eric Moon (organ/synthesizer), Eben Grace (pedal steel/guitar) and Oliver Jacobson (fiddle). The album was recorded at PS Audio Studios in Boulder, CO, Animal Lane Studios in Lyons, CO, and The Barn in Longmont, CO. Producer extraordinaire is Eben Grace, and Engineering magicians are Jay Elliott and Gus Skinas.
In the last five years, Foxfeather has captured their audience with their unique and sultry songs, sharing stages with The Gasoline Lollipops, Lee Fields and the Expressions, Yonder Mountain String Band, Woodbelly and Andrew Bird. Their songwriting and performance is influenced by a wide variety of artists including Brandi Carlile, Bonnie Raitt, Margaret Glaspy, Ani Difranco, and Stevie Nicks. The band’s current lineup includes Carly Ricks Smith (lead vocals, writer/composer) Laura Paige Stratton (guitar, keyboard, writer/composer), Blake Smith (lead guitar), Mark Dabrowski (bass guitar), and Jay Elliott (drums and percussion). The group is proud to utilize their voice to embolden and rejoice in both the frailty and the power of humanity. With expressive instrumental tone, powerful vocal melody and harmony, and passionate performance, this band is ready to win your hearts.
