Jesse James Dupree has presented the official music video for “Stranded,” which can be screened here: The recording is the second single from his latest solo album Breathing Fire. The song itself captures Dupree looking inwards, and writing about an experience we all navigate in a personal way. The feeling of isolation. Lyrically, it finds Dupree coping with some of his own adversities, and the song simply came to life though his own personal journey. His hope is all listeners find that individual meaning, and simply that it resonates with each of us on varying levels in a deeply, personal way.
The cinematography captures Dupree as a figure of solitude. As he travels through the frozen tundra of America’s Northwestern plains, he’s surrounded by an endless, scenic openness of the land connecting with the solitary figure’s personal isolation. And in that journey finding the means to cross a bridge towards understanding his place in the universe, and potentially peace and closure away from being alone in an omnipresent sense. This landscape is no stranger to Dupree. He’s been visiting South Dakota for decades. First as an attendee of the Sturgis Rally, and over the course of the past decade supporting the local economy through his partnership with Michael Ballard in Full Throttle Saloon. This video pays tribute to what a special place this has become in his life. And with it the land giving something back via the unplanned footage captured in a herd of buffalo appearing out of nowhere running towards him in a stampede. Alongside through simple happenstance coming upon the room where Wild Bill Hickock found his end, captured in one the scenes shot in Deadwood. As a work of art, this music video became a magical moment that unfolded before Jesse James Dupree and Director of Photography Tristian Barnard’s eyes. Anything that had the potential to being something truly special to this undertaking occurred organically…
The way this album was not planned, and how it happened organically, has been a consistent theme surrounding Breathing Fire. Dupree shares, “The way this song specifically came together in the studio is freaky. I had a vision of where I wanted to go with it, and threw myself to the universe. What transpired was beyond anything I envisioned would be created. Sometimes stress can affect your voice. Alongside many other potential physical side effects. When I was recording the tracks, emotions came in to play — I almost felt like was singing with someone else’s voice. I was singing from a different place. Listening back now, as an observer, to me I know what I am hearing. I could have waited, and revisited the songs, but I went with it. As I was that moment in time. Dealing with stress, emotion, lack of sleep and many other things, I recorded a lot of these vocals by myself, in solitude in the studio. This vibe surrounded me. I have a vintage Norman microphone and it was the source capturing the vocals in an open space. Not in a traditional vocal booth, but with the mic feet away from me. Simply singing how it felt in the moment, and strangely enough it was liberating in a way I’ve ever known. I just sang in to the room, and there were several moments where I spooked myself. I got a sense of a feeling I’ve never had. Almost scaring myself, lost in the moment. There is a certain point where I scream and it scared the wholly hell out of me.”
With the accompanying music video, Dupree’s friend Barney simply had the two horses they planned to capture footage of as the general entry point they aimed to capture that day on the prairie. As the sun rose and things began unfolding before their eyes, deeper vision emerged more organically than they could ever plan for it. As Barney led Dupree down the path to an old western town, the scenery of his riding in to town was captured. From there, they stumbled upon the thicket scenery. The same thing happened as they entered Deadwood, and this kind woman Sandra opened the door to her property where Wild Bill got shot. As they headed back towards Sturgis, Barney went off the main road and they came across the frozen riverbed, the white ash trees, and more. By the time we got to the other side of the prairie, they found magic hour with the sunset. Dupree offers, “I can’t share more appreciation for Barney and my cinematographer Tristian than I can. Sometimes not planning everything is the best approach you can ever find.”
The lead single, “Never Gets Old” is a co-write between Dupree and old friend Brian Johnson. The two collaborated for several Jackyl records, dating back to Cut The Crap’s “Locked & Loaded” (1997) and “Kill The Sunshine” from Relentless’ (2002). Dupree shares, “Brian Johnson of AC/DC is ROCK! I camped out for two nights to get Back in Black concert tickets in 1980, and to be writing songs with him is a trip!” Click Here to watch the official music video. Click here to watch the official studio session video. The album features Dupree on guitar and vocals, his son Nigel on drums, and Jackyl bandmate Roman Glick on bass .
To date, “Never Gets Old” has been spun on a whopping 80 U.S. radio stations along with nationally syndicated FM and satellite radio exposure on Loudwire Nights, HardDrive, LA Lloyd’s Rock Top 30, KLOS/Los Angeles Matt Pinfield’s New and Approved and SiriusXM channel Ozzy’s Boneyard. Dupree recently did a round of live performance dates presented by nationally syndicated radio show Loudwire Nights with opening act and rising rock radio star Austin Meade (https://loudwire.com/loudwire-nights-jesse-james-dupree-concert-2024/). Jackyl global streams exceed 60 million plays, and are currently exceeding over one million a month.
Dupree states, “This album is a convenient accident as I had no intention of recording one. It came about when I was listening to some old AC/DC records, and it reminded me how important rock ‘n roll is to me. The ideas started coming, and at the same time my son Nigel walked through the door from Nashville. The next thing I knew Roman was there, and we were laying the tracks down. I had not spoken to Brian Johnson for about six months because he was preoccupied with his book tour. Coincidentally, he dialed me in the days after we had been recording. Some of the strongest songs I’ve ever been a part of are featured on this album. How cool is it to play with your son, your best friend (in Roman), and to write songs with Brian Johnson? Life doesn’t get better than that.”