Chevel Shepherd brought the circus to town.
The winner of Season 15 of the television singing competition “The Voice,” and Farmington resident, was in Durango along with cast and crew, including Durangoans, to film the video for her single, “Just Like the Circus,” which was released last month.
The video was directed by Durangoan David Dibble and features the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and Durango Arts Center theater.
Brenda Macon, executive director of DAC, said the center intentionally set up the timing of the shoot so it would be done when most of its staff was out of the building, to minimize unnecessary points of contact between people.
“David Dibble is a friend and associate who needed a safe space to record a music video while our theater was closed due to COVID-19,” she said. “He and his crew left ‘no trace’ after the three day shoot, even though they brought in straw and turned the stage into a proper three-ring circus! We had fun helping him – we sorted through props together and created the knife-throwing wheel that Chevel spins on in the video.”
“Just Like the Circus,” written by Kacey Musgraves, Ashley Arrison and Shane McAnally, is set at an old-timey circus, which fits with the old-timey, classic country sound of the song.
And right down to her voice and costumes, Shepherd comes across as an old soul, something she’s heard before.
“I’ve been told that so many times. And I love it because I am,” she said, adding that when she was initially sent the song along with “Everybody’s Got a Story,” she fell in love with it and its story.
“I think storytelling is really important to music because a lot of people can relate to what you’re singing about, so I always try to put myself in the story of the song,” Shepherd said. “I just fell in love with all the creative aspects of the song and what I could do with them to make it my own.”
And as a New Mexico native, Shepherd said she was happy to have the video made locally.
“I love to do it local because the Four Corners has done so much for me,” she said. “And I like to stick around here because I love the people here, and it was just so much fun. I’m glad I got to do it local.”
katie@durangoherald.com
