Off the heels of her third Grand Ole Opry performance, country singer-songwriter Caroline Jones today released the official music video for her recently released single “Come In (But Don’t Make Yourself Comfortable).”
Directed by PROJECTBLACKBOXX (Jennifer Lopez, Steve Aoki, Noah Cyrus) and produced by Alley Long, the cinematic video opens as Jones kicks out a motorcycle stand with a pair of bedazzled boots and struts into a western-style saloon where all eyes are on her. The flirty innuendos layered throughout the sassy single quickly come to life as she entices a group of suitors to “Come in, but park your truck facing out ‘cause I wouldn’t want to be you when I want you gone.” The video continues as the rowdy bar crowd erupts into an electrifying line dance, choreographed by TikTok creator McKenzi Brooke, that is just as foot-stomping as the song itself.
“This video is a barn burner!! It is our largest video production to date, and as my fans will see, it’s very different from all of my previous music videos.” said Jones “It was a challenge to find a country and western bar in New Zealand, but we did it! Working with an all-New Zealander cast was especially refreshing as they were all very joyful, pure, and genuine people. I believe that energy comes across in the dancing and throughout the video too.”
“Come In (But Don’t Make Yourself Comfortable)” was co-written and co-produced by Jones from New Zealand, where she spent the majority of the previous year working on her forthcoming sophomore studio album.
Prior to the pandemic, the talented multi-instrumentalist toured with country icons Zac Brown Band, Kenny Chesney, Jimmy Buffett, The Eagles, Trisha Yearwood, Tim McGraw & Faith Hill, and Vince Gill, among others. She teamed up with mentor Zac Brown to co-write her previous single, “All of the Boys,” after touring with the band for three consecutive years. Jones has also worked closely with Jimmy Buffett, who wrote the beachy hit “Gulf Coast Girl” for her featuring himself, Kenny Chesney, Lukas Nelson, and Mac McAnally as “The Pelicanaires.”
Tell us about your recently released new single, “Come In (But Don’t Make Yourself Comfortable),” and the inspiration behind it.
“Come In (But Don’t Make Yourself Comfortable)” started as a joke between me and some of the musicians I work with — I blurted out the title, which is a play on a common phrase, in passing one day. As a songwriter, particularly in country, I was delighted to find a colloquialism (“come in and make yourself comfortable”) that hadn’t been turned on its ear in a song yet. We songwriters are always searching for unique and clever turns of phrase. I wrote the verses and posted a little acoustic video on Instagram, which received a great response. A few weeks later, I wrote the B part, which is sexier and more pointed than the verse. When I wrote the line “I put up with you but you ain’t gettin’ in my pants”, I knew that I had to record the song and play it live — can’t pass up the opportunity of that kind of sass!
Who are the session musicians accompanying you on the single, and have you worked with them in the past?
Nir Z on drums, Tony Lucido on bass, Danny Rader on electric guitar, and Jason Roller on fiddle and acoustic. This song marks my first time working with Danny and Tony; I’ve worked with Nir Z for years and Jason the past few sessions. Danny came up with the brilliant earworm Tele lick for “Come In”.
It’s from your forthcoming sophomore album. Can you tell us more about the new album—what fans can expect?
My sophomore album will be a bit more musically raw and energetic than my first. It reflects my maturity as a songwriter and especially as a performer and musician. Touring with Zac Brown Band, Kenny Chesney, Jimmy Buffett, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, and The Eagles gave me a lot more confidence and grit as an artist. Hopefully, you can feel that in my second record. However, the cornerstones of my style hold true in this record — a blend of country, pop, and singer/songwriter styles. I’ve been writing and recording this album for the past year. We did basic tracking with A-list players in Nashville, and then I finished the album in New Zealand over the course of my seven months living there from 2020-2021.
I understand that you worked on the upcoming album remotely while in New Zealand. What was the songwriting process?
Most of the songs were written prior to my move to New Zealand; however, New Zealand is so inspiring I ended up writing some additional songs while living there! It is the most unexpected and beautiful chapter in my life so far.
During COVID, how have you been handling the recording process?
I’ve always recorded with a relatively small team of people — myself and my co-producer Ric Wake, mix and recording engineer Gustavo Celis, and a handful of very talented and passionate musicians. The amazing part is that I was able to continue overdub sessions remotely from New Zealand! Modern technology is truly miraculous.
You’ve had the fortune of working with some incredibly talented musicians like Zac Brown Band, Kenny Chesney, Trisha Yearwood, Tim McGraw & Faith Hill, and so many others. Can you share with us a standout moment and what these experiences have taught you about country music?
Playing on stage with Zac the first time was a very surreal experience. There are only a handful of times in your life you are conscious of experiencing a dream coming true. Singing “Tomorrow Never Comes With Him” in front of 25,000 people for the first time, on my first run on a big tour in 2017, is a moment I will cherish and remember for the rest of my life. Touring with my heroes has taught me professionalism, work ethic, the importance of constantly evolving and challenging oneself as an artist, and how to super-serve your fans and prioritize their experience.
As host of Sirius XM’s Art & Soul show, where you perform with and chat with musicians about their craft and creating the perfect song, what do you think makes a perfect song?
Lyrical profundity, pointedness, and tightness. Melodic beauty and succinctness. And total, pure, raw, unfiltered truth and conviction of feeling. A VERY difficult combination of elements to nail in a single composition. But when achieved, is magic.
Based on your experience in the country music world, what’s the best piece of advice you could offer an aspiring country music artist?
Find the craft that suits you and that you are more passionate about than anything else in the world and be completely dedicated to it. Discipline your creativity by constant practice and passion. Learn to trust your own heart/compass and learn to communicate it to others in a way that is clear but not isolating. The world needs more art, more artists, more courage!
To see what’s next for Caroline Jones, check out: https://carolinejones.com/
.”){kind=link}