Below if the video for Amy Speace’s new music video for “The Sea & The Shore,” featuring a duet with John Fullbright. Speace and and co-wrtiter Robby Hecht’s lyrics narrate the story of a failing relationship, acted out by two marionettes courtesy of the Nashville Puppet Theater. The song can be found on Speace’s forthcoming How To Sleep In A Stormy Boat (April 16.)
“I will forever be grateful to my good friend John Fullbright for braving the 15 degree weather with me on that spring morning in Nashville near Radnor Lake, the closest we could get to the sea on an indie budget,” says Speace. “Also, I was so happy to discover the Nashville Puppet Theater in putting together this video. Once we found the blue-eyed puppet we knew we had our leading man.” (from GRAMMY.com)
Speace landed in New York City after college to pursue a life in theater. She studied acting at The National Shakespeare Conservatory, toured the US with the National Shakespeare Company, started her own theater company to direct and produce the plays she had written, and in the midst of her early 20’s, picked up a pawn shop guitar, wrote her first songs, and found herself with steady gigs at such storied venues as The Bitter End and The Living Room.
A self-described ‘late bloomer’ to songwriting she’s been quietly but steadily been making waves in the Americana/folk world for a few years now, and in the journey, gaining support from the likes of Judy Collins, Nanci Griffith, Guy Clark and other icons in the songwriting community.
Speace recorded How To Sleep In A Stormy Boat in Nashville with producer Neilson Hubbard. The album’s 11 songs reflects themes of lost love throughout, with Speace drawing inspiration from the classic works of William Shakespeare. In addition to Fullbright, special guests include singer/songwriter Mary Gauthier and cellist Ben Sollee. The project was funded via a extraordinarily successful Kickstarter campaign.
Speace is currently in the midst of a U.S. tour, with dates scheduled through September.
You can hear Speace duet with Mary Gauthier on the song “The Fortunate Ones†from How To Sleep in a Stormy Boat on my latest podcast.
Wow. Great Quality from both. The puppets are a grand choice for the level of emotion. Credits to the both of you on t he video and the distant stares…bravo. Lyics along side of the cello…perfect match.
Song is great, beautiful video. Amy is very talented and has a nice voice…..hoping to see you with the Amy from the “moving” video we see too!
I also want to commend the puppeteers — along with the writing and music they also made a wonderful contribution, the delicacy and subtlety of the movement, the human quality. Long ago I worked with puppets myself, just for a short time, and so recognize the quality of their art.
Truthfully, I didn’t think there was anyway a duet (even with John) could improve this song…but I was wrong. And Amy was brilliant in casting John for the role.
Thanks for the comments all. This is a great collaboration.
“The Sea and the Shore” was written by Amy Speace and Robby Hecht
I heard this tonight on Mountain Stage and had to google it so I could hear it again. The video is beautiful on so many levels. I am touched to tears.
I heard Robbie Hecht sing it at a small venue in the North of England a couple of months ago and thought it was wonderful. I then listened to Amy and John F on the net. Theirs is a beautiful version too.
I cannot however agree with the positive views people have expressed about the puppetry part of the video. I think it is poor and adds nothing. Rather, it detracts from the wistful ambience of the music, introducing what is at best a somewhat spooky element and at worst an awkward and ill-suited dimension. What it is intended to add to the emotive impact of the song is beyond me. If we must have a video, a compilation of images of shore lines in different states of tranquility and of storm, appropriate use of sunrises and sunsets, and old boats from around the shores of the world and would have been a better effect..