Even today, if you get far enough into the hinterlands of Maine, it feels like uncharted territory. And while most of the Mallett Brothers Band’s five members live closer to civilization in the Portland area, their boundless aesthetic is the very definition of Americana, ambling its way instinctively from country to folk to rock, only to return with yet another reappraisal of roots music.
Founded 15 years ago by brothers Will and Luke Mallett, the group is a credit to their father, David, who passed away this past December. The elder Mallett’s songs have been recorded by more than 150 artists, including Pete Seeger, Alison Krauss, John Denver, Arlo Guthrie and Emmylou Harris.
A reflective, straight-down-the-middle twang-rocker, “Nothin’s Working” is the leadoff track to the band’s new self-released album, Higher Up In The Hills.
“It’s sort of a heartbreak song on one level, but it’s more about giving up on chasing shiny objects and escapism and looking for more substantive meaning,” says Will Mallett. “The following tunes build on that, and there’s a lot of celebration of simple things, new ways of looking at old things, and that sort of stuff.”
The work of Just One Look Media’s Caitlin Carolan, the stunning footage for the “Nothin’s Working” video was shot in rugged northwestern Maine. “The idea for the song originally came from a dream—and then way later, I had this other dream about a seaplane on a mountain lake,” says Will. “It just stuck with me, and I wanted to do something with it. Then I had this idea: What if we shoot the music video in a seaplane? Man, if you ever get a chance to take a ride with Jack’s Air Service around Moosehead Lake up to Mount Katahdin and over the top of Mount Kineo, absolutely do it.”
We’re proud to premiere the video for the Mallet Brothers Band’s “Nothin’s Working.”
—Hobart Rowland
See the Mallett Brothers Band live.
