The company behind Jason Aldean’s music video for “Try That in a Small Town” has responded to the controversy surrounding the song and its filming location. Aldean’s music video was filmed at the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, the site where 18-year-old Henry Choate was lynched in 1927.
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The music video was produced by TackleBox Films, a production company founded by award-winning director Shaun Silva, who’s previously worked with Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, and Luke Bryan, among others.
[RELATED: CMT Pulls Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town Video after Backlash]
In an exclusive statement to Entertainment Tonight, Silva’s TackleBox Films stated that Aldean did not choose the filming location. The outlet reports that the company went on to cite multiple music videos and films that had recently been filmed in Columbia, calling it a “popular filming location outside of Nashville.”
“Any alternative narrative suggesting the music video’s location decision is false,” the company says.
Earlier this week, Aldean released the official music video for his single, which intersperses footage of public protests with clips of the country star performing with his bandmates in front of the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee. In 1927, Choate was lynched by a mob and hung from the courthouse’s second story.
The dark history of that location, set against lyrics that some argue promote violence, quickly sparked criticism from fans, critics, and other musicians, including Sheryl Crow. In response, CMT pulled “Try That in a Small Town” from their music video rotation. Aldean posted a statement to his social pages, addressing allegations “of releasing a pro-lynching song.”
“There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it — and there isn’t a single video clip that isn’t real news footage — and while I can try and respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with music, this one goes too far,” Aldean wrote.
Photo Credit: Brian Higbee / Courtesy of 1220 Entertainment
