Norway might not be your first port of call for country music, but UNNVEIG AAS might just be about to change that. She’s just released What Hurts The Most (Is Knowing You Want To Leave), the first single from her debut album Old Soul, and it’s a lovelorn twanger of a song, a big-hearted, big-chorused song that sees AAS sing her way through the most painful emotions of all. And it’s just gotten a video, which we’re delighted to premiere for you here at NOTHING BUT HOPE AND PASSION.

That video has a pretty simple concept, focusing in on AAS and letting her rack up the emotional intensity by staring down the camera and singing her heart to shreds. Speaking about the video, she says:

At first I wanted something grandiose for the video for What Hurts The Most (Is Knowing You Want To Leave). I had been watching a lot of old country performances on YouTube, such as ones from the Porter Wagoner Show, Johnny Cash Show etc. In my head I was planning to build an authentic 60s/70s TV set to really get into that country spirit. Obviously that was too expensive, and would have taken too much time in the midst of getting the album finished. So I scaled down my idea.

Searching for simpler inspiration I came to find a couple of performances by French singer Françoise Hardy that were really beautiful and elegant, with only close shots of her face. I met with photographer Daniel Jacobsen and director Kim Fjeldberg who loved the simplicity, but wanted to take it up a notch playing with lights, overlays and wind. They did a tremendous job shooting the video, the shots are so elegant and raw. It came to be a simple and honest video, which does the song justice. Also; having a wind machine on set is a diva dream come true.

So there you have it. Old Soul is out on Playground on March 31st, and in the meantime you can watch the video below.


UNNVEIG AAS