Asheville – Buncombe County native Andrew Scotchie is the People’s Choice winner in the Music Video Asheville awards, as determined by online voting during the awards ceremony on July 31.
Scotchie, 31, won for his frolicking video of his medium-tempo, country-rock song “Love is Enough.”
Attendees voted by texting on their phones, while others voted online. The 23 finalist videos were viewed in an hour-and-half, inside Salvage Station and on two smaller outdoor screens. There were 70 entries. Comic Hillary Begley hosted Independent Arts Music Asheville’s 16th annual MVA awards.
Mobros’ Mojo
Three judges chose The Mobros’ vibrant song “Magnolia Roses” as the best overall video. Its production quality is quite professional. Imagery flowed seamlessly and with many fade-outs. Most shots show the band performing, and walking in school halls. Adam McMillan is the co-director and cinematographer.
“Mobros” stands for the Morris brothers — elder Kelly on lead guitar and vocals, and drummer Patrick. They moved to Waynesville from Camden, S.C. Kelly has a smooth, soulful tenor voice. He co-directed the video, and filmed scenes he wasn’t in. Mobros won a prize of $500.
Bus Load of Fun
Scotchie’s energetic tune “Love is Enough” is bouncy with both its melody and Scotchie’s high-pitched vocals. He plays electric guitar. The song is the title tract of his fifth full CD, a seven-song collection released a year ago. Scotchie recorded it in Bristol, Va., home of The Birthplace of Country Music Museum. The Weaverville native noted that this musical heritage greatly influenced him.
Guitarist Logan Fritz, an alt-rocker from Virginia, co-wrote songs on the CD. He’s a special guest for Scotchie’s record and video. The drummer in the video, Clark Eden, is from the River Rats band that Scotchie formed in 2011 at age 18.
Tom Farr filmed the video in nine takes across three main scenes. Most imagery is in a moving purple LaZoom party bus that’s familiar to Asheville visitors. Farr depicts the musicians alone, 25 festive riders (Scotchie’s friends and family), then combines them as the musicians perform in front of the passengers. Scotchie is impressed by extras’ joyous grins, “hugging and kissing.” They reflect his song’s theme of ultimate happiness.
The other primary setting is local woods by a river, where the band pretends to perform. Scotchie often grimaces while lip-synching. This conveys sad aching of “my big, bad heart” (a song line) while away from his loved one. He also told the Tribune that he wrote the song while at a festival in Florida, and away from Martha Speegle-Snell. She’s his current girlfriend of five years. “I missed her!”
Scotchie Hams it Up
Scotchie’s mood shifts drastically when he’s back on the party bus. The musicians clown around. Scotchie makes silly faces. He even grabs an interior handle, while the bus is still traveling. He hangs upside down, makes more faces, and playfully kicks his feet about. He executed this in one take, not slipping off.
Scotchie said that his song and video celebrate “unbridled joy” that can get people through tough times in “darkest days” in a chaotic world. He said, “I’m grateful I have love. I know the power of love” and its “positive light.” He knows first-hand from romancing Martha. She said that the video reflects “much hope and love.” She appears in group scenes, such as standing on a bridge.
Scotchie started his musical career as a street “busker” in Asheville, as a teen. Fittingly, he had a cameo appearance as a street musician in bluegrass trio leader Hannah Kaminer’s video “Asheville.” David Gwaltney filmed that MVA entry. Scotchie touts its “celebration of energy in the streets.” Catalina Rose Otera portrays a poet typing outdoors.
Other Winners
Other category winners include Tyler Ramsey for “These Ghosts” (music production), After Ours’ “OK2Day” (editing), and “Daydream Baby” (wardrobe/makeup) by Secret Agent 23 Skidoo (“Cactus”). Whitney Moore sang Cactus’ ragtime number, while wearing a Roaring Twenties-styled dress.
Skidoo won the 2017 Grammy for Best Children’s Recording. He also accepted a MVA founder’s achievement award, largely for employing many locals for his recordings and videos. The Asheville native said that he enjoys “collaborating” with others in this area. He moved back home after a stint out West. “There’s nothing like” Asheville’s cultural scene, he told the cheering crowd.
Slapped Sam
“Keep the Car Running” by indie singer-songwriter Sam Island (his stage name) won awards for both best direction and cinematography. Island, a 2004 Asheville High graduate, co-produced and starred in the video. A man called “Ghost House” directed and filmed it.
Quite dramatically, Island gets smacked around on camera by actress Bre Anderson. This shows her character’s disgust with his character’s self-destructive, downward spiral. She slaps a cigarette out of his hand.
Their confrontation intensified in Sky Lanes bowling alley in Asheville. “She slapped the hell out of me!,” Island said about one of the three takes. A lesser-impact take was used. Bre was not instructed to “pull a punch,” and she gave it her all.