(from left to right) Rich Jacques, Glen Phillips, Renee Stahl
I suppose it's always time for songs of unconditional love and acceptanace around these parts, but with Mother's Day coming up this weekend, it's especially that sort of time. So this brand new video for "You Were Meant To Be" from Renee and Friends' Simpatico album seems very timely.
That album included duets with a number of Renee Stahl's friends and acquaintances, and "You Were Meant To Be" features vocals from Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet Sprocket. (That's Phillips with Stahl in the picture to the left, along with producer Rich Jacques.) Stahl was a long time fan of Phillips in addition to being a friend of his. Phillips said he and Stahl wrote the song, whose message is one of welcoming and belong in good times and bad, at a time of personal transition for him -- "it was wonderful to take some of that uncertainty and view it through the lens on a parent/child relationship." For me, the result is one of the album's highlights.
Glen Phillips recording
The animation for the new video is from Jon Izen, whose line art of bird-like humans (or human-like birds) and amuted color palette also graced Renee and Jeremy videos for "Share" and "Yellow." I loved his work on those videos, and the retro vibe and art direction for this new song is another excellent fit.
So, regardless of whether you're a mother, a father, or neither -- like, for example, a kid -- I think you'll enjoy this world premiere.
Renee Stahl & Glen Phillips - "You Were Meant To Be" [Vimeo]
Photo credit: Renee Stahl Dektor
