Mike Ward: Psychosongs “Paycheck”
Americana Highways is hosting this video premiere of Psychosongs, aka Mike Ward,’s song “Paycheck” from his recently released album The Time That Remains. The Time That Remains was produced, engineered, mixed and mastered by David Roof, and recorded at Rooftop Recordings, at Willis Sound, and at Old Main Recording Studio, all in Michigan.
“Paycheck” is Mike Ward:Psychosongs on acoustic guitar and vocals; David Roof on bass; Jason Dennie on mandolin; and Larry LaBeck on pedal steel.
This video was directed and edited by Danny Ward, produced by Danny Ward, Mike Ward, Angela Ward and Michael Coumo. Cinematographers were Danny Ward, Christopher Simon and AJ Nichols. Actors in this video are Jay Adams, James Gonzales, AJ Nichols, Judy Brown, Chester Brown, Nick Zacarian, Henry Dara and Mike Ward. The video was shot at Ghostlight Bar in Hamtramck MI and at Audra Kubta’s Detroit House of Music.
This song addresses the heartache of the life of struggle too many folks are living and then the despair that falls over when they see their first paycheck: “time clock punch drunk. what little I put in the bank was barely enough to fill my tank… drank it away until the next payday. sold my soul and self respect for that next paycheck.” The pedal steel and delicate mandolin are rich and enjoyable, as Mike tells it like it is out here in the real world. The video uses darkness and shadow to highlight pained expressions and imagery of suffering in dimly lit bars with this song to help ease the pain.
Mike Ward tells us: “No matter if it’s in a factory, an office, a diner or out on a highway, these days it seems there’s a feeling of disillusionment and frustration amongst the American worker. This song is a story of first jobs and first paychecks and how we all become dependent on that quick fix, the high of pay day, leading to the notion of a job becoming your identity. So when that job goes away, suddenly you’re lost, abandoned – as is happening far too much to far too many. And, in the end, it can leave us asking, was it all worthwhile?”
Danny Ward says: “The first time I heard “Paycheck,” I knew it was the song on this album I wanted to make a video for. The story hit me right away. So I pitched an idea for something we hadn’t yet done with one of my dad’s videos – a narrative – making a short film that lives up to the song’s timely, poignant and powerful lyrics.”
More information is available here on his website: https://www.psychosongs.com/
Enjoy our review here: REVIEW: Mike Ward: Psychosongs “The Time That Remains”