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by: Alison Bonaguro
You may not be able to feel the Tom Petty influence when you hear Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real’s “Bad Case,” but when you see the video, you can’t help but sense that influence. It’s alive and well in the new video, in the form of his daughter Adria Petty. So when you watch the collaboration between the son of a country music legend and the daughter of a rock n’ roll legend, you’ll see how naturally the two marry the art they each bring to the table.
We had a chance to ask Nelson — Willie Nelson’s son — about working with Petty, the day of the shoot at the Nelson’s Luck, Texas ranch, and the meaning behind the song.
A. What was your connection to the director Adria Petty, Tom Petty’s daughter?
Q. She’s a really good friend of mine. We met at Cafe Gratitude in Venice, California, and we ended up spending a lot of time together as friends. She’s the most beautiful person in the whole world. She’s one of the most fantastic loving spirits that exists. So it was natural to eventually do something with her. We started talking, and I knew she was a really good music video director because she’d worked with great artists. And she’s a heart friend and a dream mate. We share a lot of commonality and we understand each other. It was one of the greatest times I’ve ever had doing a music video. Because usually they’re really hard and no fun, but she made it fun.
Q. Was the whole video shot at the family ranch in Texas?
A. Yes, we shot the video at the ranch in Texas. And when we all got together on the inside — for the Opry house scene we had to film — we were all in there jamming, and Adria really made it fun for us. I just felt like I was in great hands the whole time.
Q. It seems like you must’ve been a fan of old Westerns growing up. Did that play into your decision to make the video have that same kind of aesthetic?
A. Yes, because I was a big fan of old Westerns growing up. I’ve always wanted to do a Western music video. Me and my brother were always playing Western with each other, so it’s just a natural thing.
Q. And what about the day you wrote “Bad Case.” What inspired the idea for the song?
A. There’s a type of person who gets caught up in desires and wanting, and needing to be this and needing to be that. And as a practicer of the Dao, I want to let desires go. So it’s kind of an ode to those folk who want what they can’t have always, and don’t accept reality for how it is, and just be at peace in the moment. They’re always trying to solve some problem. When really they just have to let go and be here, and face themselves and let go of who they think they are and stop putting labels on everything.
Q. Has your dad given you any feedback on the song or the video?
A. My dad loves the song and the video. He said it was amazing, and he really was blown away. He was really stoked.
Q. What do you hope people will take away from the video?
A. That it was a beautiful moment, and Adria made that happen and I’m grateful to her for doing it.
