In their new video, Paisley Fields achieves a transcendent state amongst the masses at a rodeo. The song, “Over the Radio Waves,” was co-written with woozy, ’70s-rock-inspired Aaron Lee Tasjan, and the two make a graceful pair in this song, which matches Tasjan’s penchant for dreaminess with Fields’ observational storytelling.
The video opens with fields strutting through a barnyard in assless chaps, a translucent tanktop, and a cowboy hat. Fields grew up in rural Iowa and if it looks like they firmly belong in that setting, it’s because they do — just the image alone is sand in the eyes for bullies who think “real men” behave a certain way. “Over the Radio Waves” depicts a character who has a panic-attack-turned-out-of-body-experience at a rodeo, as locals leer at the character’s gender nonconforming presentation. But the character is saved by a country song blaring over the speakers.
I’ve been a fan of Paisley Fields for 10 years now, and I had no idea where that would take the two of us. I had my own star turn in one of Paisley’s videos (that’s me standing on line to get into the club) and Paisley played our wedding. Now, “Over the Radio Waves” will be on CMT. Fields has been duking it out for a long time and I am excited for them to finally get their due.