Girl at the Rock Shows

“First Purple Light” is the first ever A.I. folk music video. This definitely caught my attention but also made me think the email I got was a bit of a gimmick. As soon as I hit play on this video and song, I realized that this was far from a gimmick and that Jefferson Berry & the UAC have a sound that demands to be heard along with the creativity that comes with becoming the band with the first ever A.I. folk music video. I was super excited to ask Jefferson some questions about this claim to fame, the song in general, and his Rubik’s cube skills (or lack thereof).

**Warning– If you don’t have the time to read this entire interview right now and just want to jump to the video (that is linked below); do it but I will warn you- trigger warning on this video. It’s dark and deep and has some images that can be very triggering.

From Jefferson: “People should know before watching is that none of it is real. The actors, the violence, the room, the building the sunrise… all of it AI. The band is real…. And the problem is real.”**

Everyone says that every crowd is their favorite but, what city has the best audience and why is it Minneapolis?
Folks in the Midwest are so damn nice, it’s hard for me to say Philly has the best audience. Philly Eats Its Own. But my peeps are my peeps.

What’s your go-to purchase at a gas station (outside of gas) when on a road trip?
Those protein bars that you expect to satisfy your desire for a Snickers.

How would you describe your music to your parents?
“So I came to visit for a only a minute.. Do you like the flowers? They’re nicer than the ones left on the other tombstones. Anyway, I wrote this song,,,,”

If you could compare yourself to a sea creature, what one would it be and why?
Sea Bass cause I’m tasty, but I aspire to be a sea otter—surfing my life away and ditching the sharks. No Goo goo g’joob for me.

What’s the worst concert you’ve ever been to and why?
I love Arlo Guthrie, but I saw him once (a really long time ago) at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium so drunk he not only couldn’t remember the words to his song, he fell on his stool and dropped his guitar several times. Vile words for the audience too. Sober now, the guy is by all accounts a real sweetheart of a guy.

Favorite lyrics of all time?
When the joker tried to tell me
I could cut it in this rube town
When he tried to hang that sign on me
I said take it down.
Night by Night, Steely Dan

What’s your favorite menu item at Taco Bell?
Diet Pepsi… the rest of it is just nasty.

If you were to rob a bank, what would be the song playing in the getaway car as you escape?
Demolition Man, Def Leopard

If you could have dinner with any musician, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Rubén Valtierra, because he’s a great hang and, as good a player as he is, that always takes a back seat to the laughs.

Have you ever been able to finish a Rubik’s Cube?
No

What’s your favorite video game and why?
Centipede, old school.

What was the first concert you ever went to?
Simon and Garfunkel, Hollywood Bowl, August 23, 1968. “Dad what’s that smell?”

What’s an old-school fad that you wish would come back?
Two-tone shoes

What’s your favorite method of listening to music?
Vinyl, absolutely.

What should we know about “First Purple Light” before listening to it?
It’s beautiful, but awful at the same time.

This video, as you claim, is the First-Ever all A.I. Folk Music Video– Are you surprised by this?
I was. Ciro (Ayala, Provoke Films) and I knew that you could write a story with novel-like detail, cue it to a time code like you would do for any film or TV commercial, and that the software would create a wild video. What we didn’t know was that no one had told a story this way. Folk music is about telling stories and while hip hop and rock artists have been doing amazing things with AI, they hadn’t used it to tell a tale.

How long did it take you to create the video?
Ciro sent me some things he’d been doing with AI in Los Angeles. He and I won the 2024 California Music Awards for Best Folk Music Video for “We’ll Soon Be Together” and 2022’s “Locks and Guns” had been a finalist at a bunch of film festivals around the world. So, when talking about how long something takes, it’s a process that pivots on working relationships. With edits going back and forth digitally (Ciro and I have never physically met), “First Purple Light” took two months from concept to completion.

Although this video is AI generated, I feel like the lyrics are far from– The song, overall, shows a lot of depth. Where were you when you wrote the lyrics?
This was a partnership from jump. Charlie O’Hay is a poet who I’ve cowritten several songs with. He has several published books, but this was posted on social media in 2015; he titled it “Mooncalf.” While we haven’t gone into the details of his childhood much, there was violence that left a mark on him

As an inner-city high school teacher in Philadelphia, I became familiar with what to look for with students experiencing domestic violence. It is a scourge that is so well hidden. Neither the perpetrators nor the victims will talk about it.

With some ballad-writing techniques, I turned “Mooncalf” into a song for the band’s 2016 “The Habit” album. “The Habit” never met the production standards I wanted, so in 2023 we re-recorded it for the “Prairie Fire” album.

What fabric would you associate this song with?
I’m wearing a killer red polyester/cotton blend suit.

With that depth comes a lot of pain, leaning towards some triggering images in the video. Why did you decide to keep those in rather than just keeping the video super PG and fun?
The song is about domestic violence. Nothing PG or fun about the topic. In the end, she heals. Pain is the touchtone for new beginnings is the subtle message.

Did you have fun creating this video or do you prefer the old-school way of doing videos?
Ciro might have a different take on this, but at no time did “First Purple Light” feel like work. I bid out the project to old school film directors. It included multiple site inspections looking for a 14-foot ceiling, drones for the outside to inside shots, casting, make up, an animal trainer (for the doves in the song) along with the typical camera, lighting and post-production editing. It would have cost five times what we spent. My preference in that budgetary scenario is pretty immaterial.

Although I like the video a lot and it’s definitely a big deal to be the create of the First-Ever all A.I. Folk Music Video, I’m a music girl and just adore the sensitive yet powerful nature of this song. Can we expect more stunning tracks like this from you?
Yes, although I probably won’t try strumming the strings of a grand piano and then reversing the track to give you that eerie opening on “First Purple Light.” Sensitive pieces have to be balanced with tunes that make you move and groove.

Is there anything else you would like my readers to know about Jefferson Berry or this song in particular?
We’re working hard to bring the Philadelphia Folk Festival back from its Covid demise. August 15-18. Your ticket buying readers should reach out to me for some extra love.

Although I feel like Jefferson’s thoughts on Taco Bell are wrong, I loved everything else about this so much. Jefferson is doing something new and he’s killing it! On top of the recognition he is getting for this first-ever all A.I. folk music video, I feel like we need to make sure to not lose sight on the fact that Jefferson is just a truly amazing human with a story to tell and a beautiful voice to do it with. So what are you waiting for? Check out “First Purple Light”, give Jefferson Berry & the UAC some love, and let’s support his venture on bringing back the Philadelphia Folk Festival (if you’re in the area!).

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