Tyler Childers is a grassroots country artist from Kentucky who provides an alternative voice in a genre associated with conservative values, and worse. And following the race-baiting ugliness of Jason Aldean's Try That In A New Town song and video, Childers' video for In Your Love - directed by Bryan Schlam - could hardly be more timely.It's a love story, set in the Appalachians in the 1950s, of two gay Kentucky miners. Starring Colton Haynes (WB's Arrow) and James Scully (Netflix's You), this is a tale that is touched with tragedy, but crucially one that sends a message of the power of love surmounting all obstacles, and the paramount importance of tolerance.The script for In Your Love was written by Kentucky Poet Laureate Silas House - a friend of Childers - and Jason Kyle Howard. They then worked with Bryan Schlam on how to best adapt this unique story for the screen. It's the second time Schlam has worked with Childers - and bucked expectatations - having already directed the video for Angel Band (Jubilee Version). The In Your Love video also weaves in a performance by Childers and his band The Food Stamps, into the narrative. For House, it was important to not only depict the strife of growing up LGBTQ in an intolerant society, but also the joy and complexity of rural lives. For Schlam, the challenge was in how to do justice to the emotional core in such a short amount of time."I knew we only had three minutes and forty-five seconds to put this story together, so every single shot, every single beat, and every action had to have purpose," says Schlam. "I wanted to move the audience in a way a traditional music video wouldn't be able to."After locking actors Colton Haynes and James Scully to star in this romantic tale, Schlam could lean into a more narrative storytelling world in order to truly bring the emotional truth of the song to life. To stay as accurate as possible to its time and Appalachian setting, Schlam worked diligently with the team at his production company home, Brooklyn-based Ghost Robot - including producer Whitney Wolanin and production supervisor Loren Greene - to source authentic locations and period detail."I spent so much time working through archival footage of miners in '50s and '60s," he says. "Just looking at every single detailfrom exact helmets, to the tools they used, to how dirty their clothes and faces were."After sourcing the perfect farmhouse and bar location, a limestone cave roughly an hour outside of Nashville stood in for thecentral coal mine. When it came to making the mid-century setting immediately recognizable, period specific cars and costumes became key components.Schlam brought in stylist Samantha Roe for everything wardrobe related; from the actor's midcentury attire to Tyler and the band's aesthetic in the video. Production designer Amanda Alberto was also key in providing key hand props, and diligentlyremoving contemporary background details and supplementing what was already there.Director of photography Doug Porter was instrumental in shaping the narrative look of the video. Having also worked Tyler and Schlam on the Angel Band (Jubilee Version) video, Schlam praises Porter's ability to bring their creative vision to life. “By now, we have developed a shorthand that helped us pull off the shoot and give the frames emotion and life in such a tight schedule.”Tyler Childers has been previously outspoken on social matters such as racial injustice and police brutality. By centering a same-sex couple, In Your Love has predictably inspired strong reactions, but the most popular social media comments byfar have been overwhelmingly positive. There's also been a swarm of reaction videos of TikTok, with fans filmingthemselves crying after being deeply moved by the video.For Schlam, this emotional reaction from fans has been particularly gratifying: "People are truly connecting to this inclusive message on another level," he says. "To be able to collaborate with Silas and Tyler on a story that lets people know they're loved, recognized, and welcome is a true gift – nevermind the opportunity to make a music video with such a strong messageabout empathy and humanity behind it."

Ali Kurr reunites with Rina Sawayama to create a country, queer, celebratory, sizzling hoedown for This Hell.Marking the launch of Rina's new album Hold The Girl, Kurr's video for This Hell marries punchy line-dancing, exquisite styling and mesmerising cinematography, to create an immediately iconic visual that celebrates the 'eternal damnation' of the LGBTQIA+ community. Shot in Bulgaria - with production by Four Elements - the concept focuses on Rina marrying her two lovers, whilst pesky protestors try their best to break up the celebration.None of this phases the group, as they party the night away under neon lights, setting the wedding cake on fire, drinking shots and performing one of the most unique first dance numbers ever put on-screen. It all makes Hell look like the place to be.

Is there life on Mars? There certainly seems to be so in Jac Clinch's absorbing promo for Police Dog Hogan, but not in the way you might expect... The animated video for Here Comes Crow explores a strange and wonderful narrative about an ancient civilisation of crows indigenous to Mars. We follow the story of an astronaut who is tormented and ultimately sent mad by a mysterious crow. Clinch was forbidden in the brief from showing the astronauts faces, and as a result had to bring a great deal of detail and emotion through the character's body language to articulately tell the story.Beautifully rendered in 2D, the video has a charming, ethereal style that is playful yet haunting, and the enigmatic climax will leave viewers mesmerised.

British Columbia-based director Jacob Crawford weaves performance by singer-songwriter Teller and The Tale with a story of youthful downfall and redemption, with the central role convincingly played by Teller and The Tale himself - aka Casey Jones.From boxing to boozing, this character embodies the Little Devil of the songtitle. And its a world away from the hard-working country life of his now-neglected grandfather. But when he hits rock bottom, can the grandson reconnect with the old man?

Andrew Paul Montague directs a heartfelt black and white promo for country artist Kieran Lancini's I Need You. Focused on isolation and yearning, the video depicts two mannequins who come to life but find themselves separated, and long to be reunited.The choreography interprets these emotions, bringing the concept to life with a raw energy, elevated by DoP Zeta Spyraki's vintage, gritty cinematography.

Two teen runaways escape their troubled childhood in Tim Mattia's video for Sam Hunt's Young Once. Traversing derelict backroads and expansive stretches of countryside, the pair fight to survive each day whilst making the most of their newfound freedom. DoP Justyn Moro utilises natural daylight and handheld camerawork to give the project an authentic feel. Getting up close in the action, the camera matches the frenetic, spontaneous movements of the couple, to give a sense of both adventure and fear of the unknown. A blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo from Sam Hunt in the café scene is an unintrusive addition, with the focus of the story staying on the teens and the promise of a new life.