Stu Larsen has been living that global troubadour life for years now, becoming a well-known and acclaimed performer through Europe and the US, while remaining a favourite amongst local circles in Australia as well. His travels, clearly, serve as apt inspiration for new music and in his delivery, Larsen communicates his narrative with beautiful nuance and storytelling heart.
His latest, “Chicago Song”, is rich in melody and substance, while its content matter is rather obvious. Set in Chicago, Larsen takes us through the first time he set his sights on a beauty of a 1973 Martin D-35 guitar.
“I started to write the song in the story before I bought the guitar,” Larsen says. “I’ve never been able to find names that felt right for my guitars. Eventually, I decided to name them after the cities they were purchased in, therefore, she will be known forevermore as ‘Chicago’.”
The music video, directed by Graham Kelley, takes to the open road and took inspiration from the likes of O’ Brother, Where Art Thou? and Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid.
“…Ultimately though, it was the idea to tell a modern rendition of how Clyde from Bonnie before they became the infamous Bonnie & Clyde.” Kelley says. “This creative choice was influenced by [Larsen’s] lyric in “Chicago Song” which says ‘And I’ve been waiting for a partner in crime, to split every dollar and share every dime’. This lyric is what set the tone for the rest of the creative development which continued to snowball with creative choices throughout the pre-production and even parts of the production itself.”
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