Ex-24 star Kiefer Sutherland has debuted his first ever music video — a meandering piece of classic country which depicts the actor-turned-vocalist wandering through small town America while mumbling lyrics in his gravelly baritone.
The first single off of Sutherland’s upcoming debut album Down in a Hole, Not Enough Whiskey is a simple song about how there’s isn’t enough whiskey to make someone feel better after a spouse leaves them.
Combining classic artistic elements into something new yet easy to digest has long been a forte of Sutherland, and the song showcases his skills in that area; Not Enough Whiskey is the sort of thing that won’t be winning any Grammy awards, but that could easily not bother you in the lobby of a casino, or a jukebox at a small-town bar. Heck, it might even become the new go-to jam for depressed alcoholics in cowboy hats everywhere.
As far as the inspiration for the song goes, Sutherland opened up to about it in a recent interview with Rolling Stone, saying, “I’ve certainly been there, where something will happen in life, and one, two, three bottles of whiskey are not going to fix it. In the context of the song, those moments are important to realize so you have to find another way to deal with them. I’m sure a lot of people have felt that way.”
Financed entirely by Sutherland himself, the video is one long shot, and takes place in a small motel with a nearby bar. As music videos go, it’s not exactly a prime example of the art form. Sutherland takes to acting his lyrics out in a literal fashion, drawing window shades, locking a door, and dragging his feet along the floor … as he sings about drawing the shades, locking the door, and dragging his feet along the floor.
For Sutherland, deciding to be a country musician rather than, say, a hard rocker was easy.
“I could hum you every melody or guitar solo from a Pink Floyd record, but I couldn’t tell you what the hell they were talking about,” he says, “There’s no messing around with a Johnny Cash song, and there’s something I really admire about that.”
Work on Down in a Hole started in earnest two years ago, just after Sutherland finished his last season of 24. The release date of the new album has not been announced, but the new musician will embark on a Midwest/East Coast tour in support of the album on April 14th, ending in late May. Perhaps Bruce Willis and Billy Bob Thornton will join along?
For a full list of tour dates, check out Sutherland’s website.
