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CMT Premiere: Sarah Ames Proves That Country Living Is More Than A Mentality, But A "Heart Thing"

Sarah Ames: "It perfectly depicts all the simple joys and beautiful things I love about living a country life."

Singer-songwriter Sarah Ames was born in Northern California, but her love for country living and music runs deep. Ames had an unconventional upbringing compared to other musicians in the honky tonk genre, as she was not raised in the country. When Ames fled the West Coast and settled in Nashville, she quickly discovered a new way of life that fed her soul.

Planting her own seeds, watching bluebirds nest, and falling asleep to the sound of crickets – inspired her latest track "Heart Thing" and embodies the independent woman Ames has become. While writing the song with Lydia Vaughan and Colin Healy, she recognized that her appreciation for the slow-paced lifestyle was in her all along.

"This song tells my story…and it tells a lot of peoples' stories too," Ames wrote on social media upon release. "You don't have to live in the tiniest town or drive a tractor, or be raised in the country to have it in you – country is a #Heartthing," she added.

The ear-pleasing melody does not only display her captivating country-pop vocals, but her impressive use of imagery. Ames joined forces with Dani Wheeler and video director Brayln Kelly to bring her colorful lyrics to life. The group of creatives effortlessly transports fans to the countryside, which provides a preview into Ames' free-spirited régime. As the fast-rising star rattles off reasons why she prefers a dirt road over a bustling city, Kelly shared snapshots from her childhood. The photographs reveal that the budding vocalist always had a country-like heart, even before building a home in Tennessee.

"It perfectly depicts all the simple joys and beautiful things I love about living a country life," Ames exclusively told CMT. "You can feel the heart in it. We shot this on my farm, so everything in the video is real and honest. A lot of the footage was actually shot on my iPhone over the last few years at the farm. This is definitely the most personal video I have made," she added.

Although watching the three-minute clip is like taking a breath of fresh air, Ames said they ran into a few bumps in the road while filming. The songstress turned producer shared that they took a few risks to capture specific shots.

"We intended on using an old 1977 Ford F150 for the shoot, but I broke the sliding barn door to the barn it was in. So, we couldn't get it out. Our only other option was to drive my 1990 Blazer, that had all the seats ripped out and huge rusted holes in the floor of it," she explained. "We could literally see the road flying by beneath us as we drove it around town, while sitting on five-gallon buckets with no seat belts. We had the top off, and once people got close enough to see what was going on, they definitely gave some looks. It was actually pretty dangerous, but exhilarating – definitely a fun memory looking back!"

Despite the obstacles, the state-of-the-art production team seamlessly executed Ames' vision and delivered the down-to-earth narrative.

"It was exactly what I pictured and what I wanted," she shared full of excitement. "I wanted the 'home video' feel, with clips stitched together – it does just that. It captures the song perfectly. I was so happy with it."

The promising new artist hopes fans resonate with the lifestyle portrayed in the clip, her storytelling soul, or it simply encourages them to seek the small blessings in life.

"I hope when they see it, they understand why I wrote "Heart Thing" and feel their own connection with a country mentality-- whether it be picking from a basil plant on their window sill, taking care of horses, or just working hard to get a job done," Ames pointed out. "I hope it [music video] inspires them to notice some of the simple, beautiful things in their own lives and recognize the happiness that it brings them too," she concluded.

The Ryan Tyndell and Oscar Charles-produced single, serves as a sneak peek into her forthcoming project and follows her 2020 track, "Neon and the Moon."

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