19 Recordings/BMG Nashville artist Colin Stough can’t get an ex off his mind in the official music video for “Makes Two of Us.”
“The music video for ‘Makes Two of Us’ is about how your mind keeps wandering to your ex after a breakup. So, in the clip, you see these two characters living their daily lives while constant flashes of memories between them keep happening,” shares Stough. “It shows how often you’re just doing whatever, yet you find yourself completely lost in thought – thinking about the other person. It starts happening so often that you get to a point where you’re just kind of like, ‘Well, if I can’t get ‘em off my mind, what could it hurt to just go there again?’”
Directed by David Dutton with DP Alan Fisher, the Mississippi native stepped back into a real-life job he had during high school as a welder for the footage shot at Glenn Machine Works in Columbus, MS. The strong visuals add to the explosive temptation of the on-again-off-again romance as depicted in the roller-coaster lyrics penned by Stough with Alex Maxwell and Cole Taylor. Intrusive thoughts capture a conflicted heart caught in a feedback loop of heartbreak and loneliness, and about to give in just one more time.
Showcasing a complex artist-writer who continues to hone his lyrical craftsmanship, the pitch-black production from Maxwell further helps put the growing urge in sonic terms – while also eclipsing the power of Stough’s Promiseland EP debut. With a heavy-handed Rock foundation, distorted guitars thunder alongside pounding drums and streaks of steel guitar lightning, but Stough weaves in tender moments to explore the emotional conflict as well – all while his volcanic Southern vocal fights confusing signals. On the one hand, he should resist what’s surely the start of another toxic cycle. But on the other, the craving for connection is real, and, hopefully, coming from both sides.
With more new music promised soon, Stough’s stacking music festival appearances this summer like CMA Fest 2024 on June 8 on the Hard Rock Stage in Nashville, TN. The same day, the Season 21 finalist on American Idol will also join a program at Fan Fair X inside Music City Center on the CMA Close Up Stage for “Idol Hour with Chayce Beckham, HunterGirl, Colin Stough and ‘American Idol’ ‘24 Winner and Runner-Up.” Find additional details here.
ABOUT COLIN STOUGH:
While Country Rock phenom and Gattman, Mississippi, native Colin Stough is only knocking on the door to his twenties, he has traversed a long journey in a few short years – starting with his debut EP Promiseland, released in the fall of 2023. After learning to play guitar at 8 years old, Stough first pursued his artistic dreams at 10, boldly trading childhood possessions for his first guitar at a local pawn shop – an instrument he still plays to this day. After graduating high school, the naturally gifted singer and self-taught songwriter began working full-time as an HVAC technician, before his mother convinced him to audition for American Idol. Impressing judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie, Stough stunned viewers and soon built a thriving fan base, finishing third on Season 21 of the show in 2022. He spent the ensuing months writing and recording original music, while also touring nationwide to put his blowtorch vocal and guitar-slinging edge on full display. After signing with 19 Recordings/BMG Nashville, his distinctive mix of Southern Rock distortion and pure-Country style has helped Stough’s music rack up more than 19.8 MILLION global on-demand streams. Stough has headlined across the country and opened for established artists like Chase Matthew, Kidd G, and Drake White.
ARTWORK CREDIT: ELISSA FELMAN & NICK SARPA