Louis Armstrong was once asked what his favorite kind of music was, and his response was simple; “good music.” Petunia & the Vipers‘ sound may not sit comfortably in one certain genre, but “good music” describes it well. Hank Williams on acid… Tom Waits meets Elvis at Woody Guthrie’s Hobo junction… Avant-Country night club scene music… One of the best bands in the world today, of any kind… A new music that springboards off of music of the past and jumps into the present day, left with only echoes of the past… Something in between 1920’s and steampunk. It’s good for your mind… These are just a few of the words uttered by folks around the globe trying to pin down a description of all that is Petunia & the Vipers.

Inspired by reading a book on Billy the Kid, an American outlaw and gunfighter of the Old West who is alleged to have killed 21 men before he was shot and killed at the age of 21, Petunia & the Vipers‘ new single, “Billy the Kid,” is written to portray Billy in a good light, as an underdog. Punching with horns, and a train steady tempo, the single transports you to a wild era.

Hey Melissa, hope you enjoy the long weekend ahead!

Louis Armstrong was once asked what his favorite kind of music was, and his response was simple; “good music.” Petunia & the Vipers‘ sound may not sit comfortably in one certain genre, but “good music” describes it well. Hank Williams on acid… Tom Waits meets Elvis at Woody Guthrie’s Hobo junction… Avant-Country night club scene music… One of the best bands in the world today, of any kind… A new music that springboards off of music of the past and jumps into the present day, left with only echoes of the past… Something in between 1920’s and steampunk. It’s good for your mind… These are just a few of the words uttered by folks around the globe trying to pin down a description of all that is Petunia & the Vipers.

Inspired by reading a book on Billy the Kid, an American outlaw and gunfighter of the Old West who is alleged to have killed 21 men before he was shot and killed at the age of 21, Petunia & the Vipers‘ new single, “Billy the Kid,” is written to portray Billy in a good light, as an underdog. Punching with horns, and a train steady tempo, the single transports you to a wild era.

1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically?

The story of the song follows the storyline, historically speaking, of the famous outlaw known as Billy the Kid. The story of making the video is one of just doing it off the cuff (see below).

2. What was the inspiration behind this video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?

The visuals were inspired from the campground setting (see below). The video storyline basically follows the song lyrics chronologically. The “ghost” visuals were a result of the trench coat and cowboy hat that I generally have with me wherever and whenever I go camping.

3. What was the process of making this video?

Candice Roberts made the video. Her and I were camping out at the Goldpan campground in the high desert around Lytton, BC, Canada (the town that later burnt down in the extreme heat of the summer while a spark from a passing train purportedly started the fire that burned the town right to the ground).

The Thompson river flows right by the campground (pictured in the video), and not much further along, joins up with the mighty Fraser river.

This setting in and of itself, inspired the shooting of the video which was very lucky at the time. The campground has since flooded, the groundwater there and the grounds poisoned (lead poisoning I think). The campground is now permanently closed. So had we not shot the video on the spur of the moment, when we did, it would not have later been possible.