S.G. Sinnicks is a two-time Hamilton Music Award winner (Folk Roots Record of the Year, 2009 and 2012, as well as a City of Hamilton Arts Award in 2013). He began playing drums at 11 and at 15 began to play the pubs with everyone from local artists to Canadian legend Stompin’ Tom Connors.

Since transitioning to original songwriting in the 90’s, Sinnicks is now known across Canada and the US as a singer/songwriter in the vein of Nick Lowe or Billy Bragg with a history of dissent and telling the story with words, music and solidarity with a career that spans three decades. His activism is inseparable from his songwriting and his music reflects a deep connection to the labour movement and the plight of the working-class.

Sinnicks‘ latest track reimagines a piece from his back catalogue with a new twist, fashioning it into a modern take on the state of American politics. An earnest lament with a soulful folk/roots sound heightened by the song’s organ and subtle gospel infused backing vocals, “Miss America 2.0” is atmospheric, capturing the duality of love and grief for “a generation that just forgets to count.”

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

Both parts love song and lament, Miss America is an observation of a changing society from the caring outsiders point of view. Avoiding sentimentality and cynicism it sees the difficulty of seeing an important family falling out with itself while heading to a troubled future. The song was originally released on the Irishman CD (2012) but retooled for a more modern audience. It was inspired by the increasing divisions in the US that have only gotten more pronounced. The idea to visualize Miss A came mostly from the title and happenstance. Miss America is a play on the lament of missing the America I knew and loved and the old pageantry of Miss America from days gone by. Quaint and every day getting more dated.

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

The visual of the aging beauty queen intermixed with me performing the tune fit well. The sash, the crown and the closeups on the makeup table were classic stills from Sunset Blvd on. Total credit for ideas and execution goes to Peter Riddihough the filmmaker who did the video. Peter and myself had worked together on 3 previous videos and his talents were the reason it was even made. The visual was two fold. One scene involved the makeup table lights and close shots and the other was the empty hall where myself and Nora Hutchinson our queen would film our performances. The storyline matched the lyric lines to either myself or the queen and Peter’s eye for colour and texture made it all work.

3.What was the process of making this video?

Two of the keys to do the video was getting the desired location and getting the right actress to play Miss America. Peter knocked it out of the park with both. Nora Hutchinson is an award winning visual artist and educator of long standing and played the role perfectly. Conveying ageing with class and dignity with a devilish look in her eye with no dialogue is not easy and Nora did it. We were incredibly lucky to get her participation. The location was the 100 year old Melrose United church in Hamilton. It featured a large hall with a balcony that could resemble a concert hall, Legion or any kind of community centre where a beauty queen would appear. Nora filmed her parts, I did mine and the rest was in Peters hands to edit, colour and marry with the track of Miss America 2.0.