Jolie Holland & Samantha Parton, ‘You Are Not Needed Now’ Music Video [Exclusive Premiere]

Jolie Holland & Samantha Parton are premiering the music video for their version of Townes Van Zandt’s iconic song “You Are Not Needed Now” exclusively for readers of The Boot. Press play above to watch.

Directed by Anthony Frattolillo, Holland and Parton's "You Are Not Needed Now" video uses the sparse backdrop of central California to capture the song’s brooding mood. Frattolillo was inspired after Parton explained to him that the song has always made her think of Heaven.

"And then it clicked for me, that a highway rest stop is symbolic of a kind of limbo or layover for lost souls,” Frattolillo says. “I imagined following one lost soul -- a drifter stuck in this state of nowhere, watching people come and go, waiting for a ride before darkness falls. And when he finally gets picked up at the end, to be lifted away from this sort of limbo, he puts his hat over his chest and lies down in the flatbed of the truck … as if he’s coming to his final resting place -- at peace.”

Former co-founders of the Be Good Tanyas, Holland and Parton have reconnected to create their recently released album as a duo, titled Wildflower Blues. This version of “You Are Not Needed Now” appears on that record, which has earned praise for its intricately woven blend of Americana sensibilities and notes of blues, jazz, folk and ragtime.

Holland and Parton are set to tour in support of Wildflower Blues starting in November. The tour kicks off at the Casbah in San Diego, Calif., on Nov. 2, and includes stops in San Francisco, Calif.; Portland, Ore.; and New York City.

Jolie Holland & Samantha Parton, 2017 Tour Dates:

Nov. 2 – San Diego Calif. @ the Casbah
Nov. 3 – Santa Monica, Calif. @ McCabe’s
Nov. 5 – Felton, Calif. @ Don Quixotes
Nov. 6 – San Francisco, Calif. @ the Chapel
Nov. 9 – Walla Walla, Wash. @ Charles Smith Winery
Nov. 10 – Portland, Ore. @ Old Church
Nov. 29 – Washington, DC @ Pearl Street Warehouse
Nov. 30 – Philadelphia, Pa. @ Boots & Saddle
Dec. 1 – New York City @ Mercury Lounge
Dec. 2 – Boston, Mass. @ Great Scott
Dec. 3 – Providence, R.I. @ Columbus Theatre

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