Houston, TX-based Americana singer-songwriter Angie Goeke is set to her release her debut full-length, If I Were Honest, on April 29, 2022. In the meantime we have the premiere of the Fly baby Fly single and video. An independent release, the album was recorded in Nashville and produced by Mary Bragg. If I
here is something about Americana singer-songwriter Angie Goeke’s music that is charming. Relatable. Her forthcoming album, “If I Were Honest” (out April 29, 2022) is comfortable and easy, yet with a lyrical depth — and the emotion that comes with it — that emerges from life lived and experiences accrued under one’s belt. And a song like her new single, “Fly Baby Fly” (out March 11, 2022), springs from that deep, inherent hope that all parents have for their kids: that they can reach for their dreams, and, ultimately, be happy. The sense of encouragement, of striving to reach something, is palpable in the song, making the listener want to go out and do big, exciting things.
The accompanying music video, hand-drawn and animated by one of Goeke’s seventh-grade art students, is utterly delightful, a visual embrace of the song’s message. The poignancy of a child realizing a dream in the creation of this music video is not lost on the viewer, and one can’t help but smile when watching the video’s storyline unfold. It’s a feel-good listen-and-watch.
Amplify is pleased to premiere the song and video here today, and we sat down recently with Goeke to talk about all of it in advance of the single’s release.
Please tell us about this song. What inspired you to write it and how did it come together?
The song formed as Shane Stevens and I chatted over Zoom during the beginning of the pandemic. We talked about life and all the craziness of the world at that time, such as my four kids all trying to do school from home and the impact we were all feeling. When we were trying to nail down a topic for a song, we came back around to my kids. We talked about the song, “Humble and Kind” by Lori McKenna and how we wanted a similar mother-to-child kind of message. We talked about the idea of starting each line as a question and the power that could have, because parents rarely know what they are doing! Then the wheels started turning.
What was it like recording this song?
Magic. As soon as Ben Garnett laid down that opening line, something special happened. All of a sudden, what was a little song on my uke became reminiscent of “Blackbird.” Previous to that, I struggled to feel comfortable singing the song and where to place it in my voice. But all of a sudden, it became this lilting lullaby/prayer over my kids that felt so peaceful.
What message do you hope this song conveys to listeners?
While the song was originally written for my children, it has become a song of encouragement to me. Believing that someone else is telling me to take some risks, pursue what I love, to just go for it — that has been meaningful to me, and I hope everyone who listens can apply the same message to their lives. You are worth the investment, the time, the risk to pursue that which makes you happy, that which makes you wanna fly.
This song is also a message to your children. Have they heard the song? If so, what do they think of it?
Yes, they’ve heard it; they’ve heard every version that has been played live and has come back from mixing and mastering, actually. While they don’t express that it’s meaningful, I think somewhere inside of them a seed is being planted. Because they are kids, I mainly hear, “Ugh, do we have to listen to it again?” (But then I catch them singing along).
Who put the video together? How did you come to work with that person?
The video was hand-drawn by Isabella Alcozer. She is one of my seventh-grade art students. She was showing me a video she made last school year to a popular song. I was so impressed by her drawings and the amount of time and persistence that such a video required. It didn’t take long for me to realize that hiring her to make a video for this song would be powerful. She is such a talented artist, I wanted her to experience that her talent is valued! I wanted her to get the opportunity as a middle schooler to have a wide audience see her work and applaud her for it. I hope that it inspires her to strive for any and all future goals that she has, which is exactly what I hope everyone hears in “Fly Baby Fly.”
Whose idea was the video treatment? What story did you hope to tell with the video?
I handed the project fully over to Isa, and she created the storyline. She did all the drawings in several layers of shading and animation. I love that she focused on the “dance like no one’s watching” line. Being a singer, I would have focused on “sing, baby, sing.” Her creative choices show the relationship between mother and child in such a way I could not have done on my own. I am grateful that we went with it!
Any great stories to share from the creation of the video?
Isa worked independently for all of this project. She would send me layers as they were completed. The best story is probably yet to come, when I have the rest of the art students see her amazing video. She is so humble and quiet! I can’t wait for them to be inspired by her, a fellow peer who was hired to make a music video!
