‘Oh we don’t speak
Don’t touch as if nobody’s watching us
Lord knows we’ve got it down
What would they say if we gave up?’
‘Church Clothes’ is a beautiful – and brutally honest – ode to love by country music singer Kelleigh Bannen. Kelleigh debuted in country music in 2012 with her song ‘Sorry on The Rocks’ and followed that tune with some loud and upbeat songs to add to her music catalog. ‘Church Clothes’ takes a different approach, as a quiet and broken down song, that manages speaks louder than any of the others.
At some point, in all of our lives, we’ve put on appearances, sometimes so well that we forget what lies just beneath the surface. However, in this track, co-written by Liz Rose and Nicolle Galyon, what lies beneath the surface is too painful to ignore.
The story follows a woman who is thinking about her love story and realizing that lately, it’s been lacking a lot of what made it love to begin with. She talks about getting dressed for church, putting on Sunday’s best. He adds a tie while she puts on pink blush, and they ride in the same car to their same old church. They sit in the same pew with their hands held – all while miles and miles seem to exist between them.
They exist, picture perfect, on the outside, but at home, he sleeps on the sofa. She goes on to sing, with deep emotion, that she doesn’t recognize him anymore. They’re simply strangers playing a part.
Kelleigh reminds listeners, and herself, that they’ve got to keep it together. As the song progresses you learn that it’s less for them than for other people. Their church clothes look the same in their closet as they do when worn sitting in a church, the facade does nothing to help them. However, at church or Sunday brunch, outsiders see love still blooming. It’s something they can fake, it’s something they feel forced to.
The music video for the song is beautiful in itself, but we’ve got an exclusive premiere of a performance of the tune that is stunning in a different way.
The song brings out emotion in Kelleigh, which you’d expect, because the love is tangible but truly no longer hers to hold. It’s something that, if you can relate to, breaks your heart to watch. Her talent and her soulful voice resonate as she skips singing altogether and uses the moment to tell a story.
In addition to storytelling through her music, Kelleigh is the creator of the ‘This Nashville Life’ podcast and is a CMT Next Women of Country Alumni. She’s also been on tour with Luke Bryan, Little Big Town, and more.
To see more of Kelleigh’s work, check out her YouTube and be on the lookout for more from her soon. She’s no stranger to the industry, but her honest and vulnerable new approach to her music is a definite rebirth.