Growing up, we like to hear about superheroes and kingdoms far far away because they give us something to dream about—something to strive for. We fall in love with the easy magic of it all. Yet, once you realize that these stories are just stories, a painful reality sets in and you just might get hurt.
Today (June 24), singer/songwriter Ashley Jordan is premiering the music video for her single “Angels and Demons,” which grapples with losing this kind of unassuming love. “I don’t think I ever set out to write a certain kind of song—but this song evolved because I was exploring my own personal relationships and I had been thinking back about how complicated and messy love can be—not at all like our fairy-tale expectations,” Jordan tells American Songwriter.
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“For me, the process of accepting adulthood required the letting go of the ideals/stories I had in my head as a little girl regarding life, love and relationships,” she continues. “I had to finally accept that life is sometimes complicated and confusing and that often it feels like you’re being pulled in different directions—towards the light and sometimes into the darkness. This song expresses that confusion and is about learning to love and be loved—and about the hope of getting it right.”
“Angels and Demons” implicitly expresses this dance of light and dark through Jordan’s striking vocals. Her voice fluctuates from a heartbreaking whisper to a fervent melody. “[It] has a country vibe with some warmth, a strong melody and harmonies that I hope will make you want to sing along,” Jordan explains.
To visually describe her dreamy lilt, Jordan created a music video. “The filming of ‘Angels and Demons’ was definitely a dream come true,” Jordan says. “I was excited to work again with the amazing team of filmmaker/videographer/director Paul Travers, as well as photographer/videographer Tommy Colbert, production and lighting director Phil Grenier, and wardrobe and set designer Rae Finn. There’s so much creativity that comes out of this team and it’s unreal to watch the vision unfold. With the incredible choreography and “demon” dancing talents of Kelsey Grills, as well as the “angel” dancing talents of Tory Hitchcock, this music video and story came to life!
“I had always believed that this music video needed to involve dance, and I had been following an incredibly beautiful tiny powerhouse who is a gifted dancer out of Utah by the name of Ruby Taylor,” Jordan adds. “I knew that Ruby embodied everything I could ever hope for from a young dancer and that she could beautifully portray the story of ‘Angels and Demons,’ so I was thrilled that she was able to travel to Massachusetts to be a part of the video. In a sense, Ruby represented me in the video, looking back as a little girl and trying to find my way.”
Today, it’s clear that Jordan has found her way in the music world. Her early inspirations like her musician grandfather, “Buck” Jordan, pushed her to become the artist that created “Angels and Demons.”
“When I was a younger musician/artist, I was very shy and very much of a pushover. I would ‘yes’ everyone and didn’t really feel empowered. But I feel that I have evolved and grown into a strong female artist,” Jordan states. “I know my boundaries as a woman and as an artist and I know who I am and what I want. I am trying to stay true to my authentic self rather than melding into what everyone wants me to be.”
Watch the premiere of “Angels and Demons” below and be sure to watch out for more from Ashley Jordan.