It’s been a while since PJ North released a music video, and the singer-songwriter and part-time race car driver returned in a big way on Nov. 19. In “LA 2 ME,” premiering here on HollywoodLife, the Columbus, Ohio native details the pain that many feel whenever they load up Instagram, only to see an ex living their best life on the West Coast. Though PJ calls out people whose life looks better on the ‘gram (“bills are easier to pay / when the money you spend isn’t yours”), and suggests that Rodeo Drive doesn’t really compare to the charms of “small town living,” he does reach a point where he lets go of his lost love. But, when they realize that “LA isn’t workin’,” PJ assures them that he’ll welcome them back once they book that “red-eye” home from LA to him.
“I wanted this video to represent the song while also kind of re-introducing me to fans,” PJ tells HollywoodLife. “It’s my first official music video since early 2019, and I wanted to really bring what I do best, my live full band performance to life while also telling the story of the song. I think the transition between me really speaking to the lyrics in the car, and scrolling through Instagram, and my mannerisms overall just really helped hit it home for me. This song is about someone losing someone to bigger and maybe better things, and I truly believe the video delivers that sentiment.”
Though 2020 has made it hard to shoot a video, throw a concert, or do anything, PJ and his crew were able to put the “LA 2 Me” visual together, and he tells us it was a blast. “It was a lot of fun to safely get the band back together and get to truly show the real me in the video,” he shares with HollywoodLife. The energy, the band, everyone’s look (especially my beautiful wife as the lead woman) was really just the whole package wrapped in one.”
“The team at Stormlight Pictures directed me in a way that helped me bring the best out of the song, and they helped me deliver the best live performance feel in the video. As rusty as we all may feel after not being able to play together for a while, I think we were able to get exactly what we needed for this video, and I can’t wait to share it with all the fans.”
Though PJ hasn’t put out a video in a while, he hasn’t let the grass grow under his feet. His 2020 has been busy. He’s pout out a handful of songs – “Afraid of the Dark,” “You Wouldn’t Get It,” “Turn It Up Some,” “Saturdays Are For The Boys” – and will add another next week. “Beers We Haven’t Drank,” a tribute to “all the girls we haven’t met,” and the “cool sh-t left do,” arrives on Nov. 25.