Quitting and giving up in the face of setbacks and internal limitations are questions many artists face. The Sweeplings stood toe-to-toe with their own similar drawbacks and recontextualized them, incorporating them into their core message to their listeners on their latest single.
Videos by American Songwriter
“‘Bleed Me White’ takes the journey of this project and condenses it to a single thought: hope. The process of Losing Ground Vol. 1 was marked by turmoil, conflict and a feeling at times that we weren’t going to make it, that the album wouldn’t get done or that The Sweeplings would cease to exist,” the band explained to American Songwriter. “The first line of the song is something we really held on to: ‘there’s a light ahead, a day is coming soon.’ Then the chorus moved us to the conviction that no matter what happened, we wouldn’t give up: ‘Bleed me white, drain what little hope you can, you can try, but I’m never giving in’. We’ve seen this journey through to the other side, and we hope this song serves as an inspiration to others facing a give up or keep fighting moment in their life.”
The pop-folk, cross-country working duo is comprised of Cami Bradley from Washington and Whitney Dean who resides in Alabama. The duo has reveled in much success since the project’s conception in 2014 and marks several albums and has never stopped building their repertoire since including four EP’s and one full-length record titled Rise & Fall in 2017.
“Bleed Me White” is yet another check-mark in their impressive roster of achievements. It is the definition of a duet and pedestals itself on perfectly balanced vocal harmonies and pulsing piano, textured with light strings. It is elegance in simplicity at its finest.
Following suit is the minimalistic music video, featuring Bradley and Dean singing among casts of shadows and darkness, leaving listeners with only their music and message.
“The video echoes the sentiments of holding on,” explained the duo. “It shows flashes of light and hope against a sometimes, overwhelming darkness. It’s also a product of our team. The concept was conceived by Whitney, produced by Cami, shot by Bethany (Whitney’s wife), directed by Eric (Cami’s husband), and then brought to its final form by Whitney. It was shot over two nights in an Airbnb outside Joshua Tree National Park. It’s a team effort and we believe the video amplifies the story of this song and our journey.”
