Bethany Paige Campbell

The best days of my life are the ones I get to devote entirely to my music and artistry. The days in which we shot the Clyde music video are a prime example.

Tuesday night, I got home from Murrieta Brewing, showered, redid my pin curls, and packed everything for the next morning. 

Wednesday morning, I arrived at the Merc feeling, once again, rather like an imposter. But it was time for what would become some of favorite visuals in the video.

Both the red carpet set-up and the transitional curtain I fall through are achieved through a PVC pipe and red fabric monstrosity masterminded by my mother and I. It was a PAIN to put together. I forgot our brand new pack of safety pins (of course) and we didn't know how long we'd have access to the merc, so there was no time to go back for them. Hopes and prayers held that thing together. 

We shot the scene on stage first, once Gavin had that wonderful lighting set up. My friend, Mikayla is the arm you see me pushing me into the frame, and my other friend, Gracie, hands me the microphone. We had fun figuring out the exact timing and placement of that, and it only took a couple tries!

In its time as a curtain, our PVC pipe/red fabric creation provided the needed transition for the video. I wanted it to appear as if Bonnie stumbles out of Clyde's slow-dancing embrace and into a strange new world of glamour and bright lights. She looks around, but can't find him anymore. My friend Gracie once again provided the hands that fix my hair and add a few extra pearls before tugging me towards the stage. The show must go on!

Outside, on our mock red carpet, we set to work on the first scenes that I ever envisioned when I first dreamed of a Clyde music video. The paparazzi! I always knew I wanted to add a double meaning to the line “lights are flashing”. The challenge now was making two people on an outdoor hallway at 12pm feel like a red carpet crowd! Fortunately, Gavin has a gift for movie magic, and for my part, I'm just optimistic to the point of delusion so I figured it would work out. And it did!

The last scene we shot there also ended being the one to set the tone for the ending of the entire music video. The pearl-wrapped bouquet makes three appearances in the video: as a gift from Clyde to Bonnie, as flowers laid in Bonnie's casket, and, finally, tossed through the crowd into Bonnie's hands. 

We actually did the pushing-through-the-crowd bit on our knees! Doing it at normal height showed the Merc's brick wall in the background. Once again, our only background actors were Mikayla and Gracie. Arranging us close together and filming through the gap between them creates the illusion that there's more people.

After filming that bit (and laughing a lot), I stood again to sing the final words with the bouquet in hand. In an attempt at method acting, I chose to focus on a small lizard on a wall opposite me. I was actually sad when it ran away. 

So now you know how the Clyde music video was made. 

Day One: Pre-Hollywood at the Brewery

I wasn't sure about doing a video. Does that surprise you? It wasn't that I didn't want to - I really, really did and already had an idea that I loved. But imposter syndrome, disguised as realism, had its grip on me.

Music videos are expensive, to be frank. And my idea seemed complicated, how would I pull it off? And even if I did, who would care? Who did I think I was, releasing a music video for my very first single? On and on, the inner war raged, until finally I reached out to a local videographer. Just to see, I told myself. To see if I could do it.

By the end of my conversation with Gavin Valenzuela, I was struggling to contain my excitement. He loved Clyde, loved my idea for it, and quoted me an expense I could swing (this was two days before my keyboard broke, but still). More over, I liked his energy and how he was able to translate my rambling ideas into a creative vision.

So, we set a date for another call. I said “have a great day”, hung up, and screamed and danced around my room. 

I was going to get to do a music video.

My very first one. We started planning, discussing locations and props and actors, all of which ended up being a rather daring DIY affair. 

Our first location was the same place I had my photoshoot: Murrieta Brewing Co in Downtown Murrieta. It was another blistering hot day so along with the props, I also brought a jug of iced tea to share. 

Singing to a camera is a very new experience to me and it definitely took me a moment to get into it. But I always was a wanna-be theatre kid, so before long I was having a blast. 

One of our goals with the video was to make it look bigger than it was. The kind of video people watch and point to parts of, asking how did they do it? 

For the “casket” scene, the answer was a bathtub. On the porch area of the brewery, an old stand-alone bathtub kept watch. The bathtub, hilariously, is the entire reason I thought of the brewery. I had this image in my mind of a lush red casket, a grave filled with pearls and memories. Hollywood's Bonnie dead in her best dress. What, I asked myself, could I possibly use as a casket? If only I had an old bathtub or something…oh!

So there I was, layering red fabric in a bathtub and carefully adding the props. When you watch the video, take a good look: there's a lot going on. I wanted to layer in various items like the pearls and roses to create consistent motifs. It's common for roses to represent love, but wilted roses often convey death and loss. In planning the bathtub set-up, I found myself fascinated with the imagery of these luxurious and romantics items lining a casket. 

Getting in and out of the tub was quite a process! Once I was in, there was no getting out until we'd gotten all of our footage. While I laid in my figurative grave, the wind kicked up. Several times, Carleigh, Cliff, and my mom (who I invited to take behind the scenes pics), had to run in and fix the fabric. It was actually my mom's idea for me to hold the bouquet, which appears several times in the video.

One of my favorite things about music video day one was watching Cliff and Carleigh play what we call “pre-Hollywood” Bonnie and Clyde. We laughed a lot that day, playing twenty questions to get good footage of the two deep in conversation. The slow-dancing was Carleigh's idea. It ended up being the perfect opening for a transition I desperately hoped to pull off. 

Which brings us to day two.

Wanna hear something cringy? In my head, I call it “Bonnie-wood”. Like Hollywood…and Bonnie…you get it.

From the start, I had a very clear vision of the “Hollywood Bonnie” look: the red dress, the red lips, the pearls, the bright red shoes, and, of course, the hair…the hair.

I'll be the first to admit I've always been useless when it comes styling my hair. For much of this year, I've taken the easier route and simply worn it in a high pony. With a few fancy scrunchies and bows obtained from Target, it wasn't a bad look.

But it wasn't Bonnie.

The problem? I needed a 1930s Hollywood inspired hairstyle for my photoshoot, music video, and performances, but I decidedly did not have the money to get it.

The solution? Ten thousand bobbie pins, a youtube tutorial, and the joys of “good enough”.

It was a hair stylist friend of mine who suggested I pin curl my hair. Okay, I said, thanks for the great idea. Inwardly, I was wondering how I could possibly learn to do that properly in time.

Not gonna lie, my first attempt was terrible. I made the mistake of starting the process about an hour before I had to leave for the studio. I was less than halfway done. Frustrated, I removed the bobbie pins and vowed to try it every night before the photoshoot, until I had it just right.

That didn't happen. I got busy, distracted, and, most of all, I procrastinated. Until it was the night before my shoot and I had no choice but to take the leap.

Back on youtube, I found a good, slow tutorial, and began to painstakingly roll the curls and pin them onto my head. Having now done the look several times, I can say it's really not that hard. But the first time certainly was. 

Now, here's what I mean about “good enough”: it's not about doing a shoddy job and letting it go cuz you don't care enough. I care a whole lot, but I also knew that whatever I did still wouldn't look like what a hair stylist would do for a 1930s starlet. 

It certainly wouldn't look like the 1950s movie Bonnie, whose hair was straight. Or the real Bonnie, who pinned her hair into a cap in most of their photos. When we retell stories, the lense is never quite the same, so the look is never quite the same. By the time the look, the photos, and visuals all came together, I had not resurrected Bonnie Parker. I had never meant to. Instead, I created the character of Bonnie, my own version. And my version had slightly messy, pearl-adorned pin curls. 

As to the rest of my outfit, it was all pieced together from various sources. That red dress, I've owned for almost a year now. It was my splurge purchase last year from a sight called Baltic Borne. I felt my closet needed a truly luxurious performance dress, and I was right. The shoes are a red version of the black Dreampairs boots I've owned for years. I had to hunt that original pair down, but that's another story. Miraculously, I found the red pair in great condition and my exact size for only $30 on Poshmark. 

One my new favorite things ever are Capezio leggings. Did I buy them just because Taylor Swift wears them? No, I bought them because I always thought Taylor Swift's legs look amazing on stage, and then I found out she wears Capezios. In my defense, they were a good deal on Amazon.

The pearls were a Christmas gift (thanks mom), and the pearl hair clips were (drum roll please) from the one and only Dollar Tree.

Talk about Hollywood on a budget!

Well, 2024 has so far been a blur, especially this last month. I keep thinking to myself, “I don't what I'm doing, or how it will look when I look back on this later, but I sure am having fun.”

And I have been!

We finished Clyde the beginning of this month, one fine Sunday evening at what we've started calling Summit Studios. I felt like I'd been sitting at red light, waiting and waiting to just GO. After sending Clyde off to be mastered, I began thinking about how much I had on my to-do list. 

The next day, the Murrieta Arts Council held auditions for their yearly music fest. My music teacher and collaborator, Dave Regier, met me at the Alleyway in Downtown Murrieta. It was, in hindsight, the first truly hot day of the summer. But as musicians gathered under the shade-cloths of the alleyway, I got the sense everyone was happy to be there.

That night, I began planning my debut release for real. I had already done some research into everything involved, and it's a lot: you need a distributor, a PRO, a publishing company, so on and so forth. There's things to register for, plan for, promote, etc. I felt like I was truly starting my career from scratch, and I was determined to do it right.

I didn't want my debut to be a hesitant step into the world of “real” recording artists. I wanted to walk in with a burst of pearls and glitter, raise my arms, and say “I'm here now!” I wanted to go for it.

Which meant a website (this website!), professional photos, and even a music video.

My voice teacher (shoutout to Gwyn Sanborn!) recommended city photographer, Shawna Sarnowski, to me. After a little discussion, we set a date for the shoot. On Wednesday the 11th, I found myself right back in Downtown Murrieta at Murrieta Brewing Co. 

One thing I see the more I put myself out there is the kindness and generosity that so many people extend, expecting nothing in return. The photoshoot turned out better than I could've imagined thanks to the Winborns kindly lending us their authentic Model A Ford and Mike, the owner of Murrieta Brewing, allowing us to use his property. 

That evening, I came home to a pleasant surprise: the final, mastered version of Clyde was already done! I was screaming from sheer excitement, alone at my desk, as I opened the file. It's really happening.

And then it was June 12th, the day of Rock The Oaks. Every year, Oak Grove Center and Wilson Creek Winery put on a benefit concert for Oak Grove Center's Arts & Autism program. I've gotten to be a part of the show for two years now, and it is always a blast. This year was particularly special to me because I got to perform Clyde in its full glory, with my glittering red gown, dramatic gestures, and a full band backing me up.

After that, everything kicked into high gear. I started a second job that Saturday, working for a local business selling at farmer's markets. In between my two jobs, practice, and writing, I worked on the technical side of releasing a song. With an announcement on my socials, it was official: Clyde would be out July 19th.

And I would follow it with a music video. But no spoilers!

I chose Clyde as my debut because it's kind of the quintessential ‘me’ song: it tells a story and evokes strong emotions, all packaged in a dramatic piano ballad. 

I wrote Clyde somewhere back in September of 2023, alone at my keyboard one night. I hadn't set out to write a song about Bonnie and Clyde; I simply wanted to write a stirring tale of tragedy, romance, and, well, murder. In its first moments, I played a simple chord progression, singing something about a hold up, something about a gas station. The second I hit the chorus, a name popped into my mind: Clyde. Of course, I thought about Bonnie and Clyde, the famously glamorized gangster couple of the 1930s. I pulled up their wikipedia page, came up with a soaring melody, and the rest just sort of fell into place.

From its first live debut at my favorite local coffee shop (shout to Montague Brothers Coffee!), I knew there was something special about the song. It pulled listeners in, and brought an empathetic light to the tale of Bonnie and Clyde without losing an ounce of the action. Among the first people to hear it was Cliff Braxton, local artist and producer. I vividly remember the drum beat he took up on the coffee shop counter during the bridge. It was only natural that he produce the song. 

Aside from a few educational visits, Clyde was my first time in a recording studio. In Cliff's mountaintop studio, we brought the song to life over the course of weekend sessions, both of us working around our day jobs. My sister, Carleigh, who we all know and love as the queen of harmonies, contributed her backing vocals. Cliff also sings the echo: “I'm fading now” on the last chorus. By early June, I was stoked to send Clyde out into the world.

To me, it isn't just a song about two criminals from way back when. It's a song about love growing in the strangest places, about the empathy that even murderers can stir, and the often bizarre, but undeniably fascinating, effects of Hollywood on real stories. I can't wait for Clyde to be yours!