Alt-country balladeer Leroy Macqueen today shares the accompanying video clip for their new single, Stepping Out, in celebration of Pride Month.
Directed by Nicky Murphy, the clip, which was filmed in one take, stars Macqueen and two pups on a plastic-coated couch.
“I wanted to keep this music video as simple as possible so it wouldn’t distract from the meaning behind the lyrics.” McQueen said of the new clip. “It’s like a little insight into what it was like to write the song, which happened in one take on my couch at home during lockdown.
“Production designer Zeïna Thiboult came up with the idea to cover everything in plastic painting sheets, and we warmed up the vibes with the inclusion of two amazing little pups Woody and Belfy.”
Described as a deeply personal tale of Macqueen’s journey towards coming out as non-binary/queer, Stepping Out reflects on their struggles with gender identity and the liberation that came with leaning into their true self. The track explores the time-old tale of running from demons and finding the light, providing comfort and hope for listeners, no matter their situation.
Macqueen shares that the song is intensely personal.
“This song is deeply personal for me. I was sitting on my couch at home with my guitar, trying to find the words to say – about the way I was feeling – so that’s what I literally sang, right there on the spot, and the rest came as I was playing it for the first time.
“For me, this song is about struggling to find myself. I’ve always struggled with my gender and avoided dealing with it. When I finally accepted I was non-binary/queer and felt ready to come out, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted and that I had finally stepped out into the light for the first time as who I really am. But that’s just my takeaway from the lyrics. It can really relate to any situation. Just taking that leap to do that thing that you’ve been running from.”
Macqueen first came to prominence in 2010 as one-half of punk band The Gooch Palms, a collaboration with their partner Kat Friend. The duo’s energetic and boisterous live performances garnered them a cult following worldwide, playing close to one thousand shows over a decade before hanging up their boots in 2020.
It was then Macqueen found a new direction in country music, leaving behind the blurted anthems that defined The Gooch Palms, rebranding themselves as a crooning, brooding balladeer.
Take a listen to their new song.
OIP Staff
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