Love isn’t easy. That wonderful feeling of first love like you’re floating off the ground is nice, but you can’t sustain a love on just that. You have to put the work in and make sure you’re taking care of the other person and yourself. Any hangups or lingering regrets from previous loves you carry around can impede love going forward. It can be tough to let all of those things go, but it’s incredibly worth it. Birmingham’s Preston Lovinggood is looking for that new love himself, and he describes the journey and takes to the roads on new release “Taken In The Night.” We’re thrilled to premiere the track and its music video on Substream this afternoon.
Like all of Lovinggood’s music, what stands out immediately is how accessible and relatable “Taken In The Night” is. This isn’t a sugarcoated love ballad; it’s a look at the work that goes in. He sings about all the small moments and challenges that can come with love, and implores the listener to “let your guard down” and work towards a healthier emotional center. The heavily distorted guitar and crashing percussion work wonders here, complementing the idea that this is a process we have to grit our way through to reach where we need to go. It all comes together into a thoughtful, nuanced track.
The music video takes place–you guessed it–at night in the city. Both Lovinggood and the woman co-starring in the video wander the streets, seemingly searching for something they can’t find. Lovinggood performs both in front of and behind the wheel of a car, as “travel” is a big theme in the video. Watching both of these people wander serves as a nice visual representation of what “Taken In The Night” is about, and it’s shot spectacularly to boot.
Lovinggood explained the idea behind the video to Substream. He says
“This video is a metaphor for wanting to love in the present. Forgiving yourself for the hurt you caused others and the hurt you caused to yourself. The women in the car represent a romancing of the past which leads to the blindness of the protagonist. He is disoriented and can’t see the love that is being offered to him in the now. But I do think there is a certain hope to the video, at the end he is standing outside the car, open to life, looking straight into the camera.”
“Taken In The Night” is from Lovinggood’s upcoming album Consequences, set for release on May 17 (pre-orders are ongoing). You can listen to the new track and check out tour dates below.
Preston Lovinggood Tour Dates
May 28 – Rockwood Music Hall / New York City, NY
June 20 – The Earl / Atlanta, GA
June 21 – The High Watt / Nashville, TN
June 22 – WorkPlay / Birmingham, AL
