Hope, Arkansas Native & 3x Arkansas Country Female Vocalist Drops An Afternoon Break Video for Her Kind of Country’s Anthem “The 90s Called” – Watch Now
Mae Estes knew what she was doing when she made Aaron Raitiere and Benjy Davis’ irreverent “The 90s Called” her debut on Blue Highway Records. The Association of Independent Music Publisher’s Rising Artist-Writer winner wanted to make a statement about where country is, what it’s made of and how to bump up the real stuff without getting too heavy.
“Country music covers all kinds of content. The truth comes in many forms,” says the singer/songwriter who possesses a voice that’s pure electric charge. “This song captures the fun of making music and celebrating what I love so much about the music I grew up on. I’m a sucker for the colorful lyrics about a mullet and mustache, too.”
Today at 2 pm Eastern / 1 pm Central, Estes doubles down on that concept. Cracking the post-lunch break torpor wide-open — whether suffering from too many meetings, a deadline that isn’t working or just one enchilada too many – Estes premieres a clip that injects a little levity and a whole lot of country into the conversation. Watch the Ford Fairchild-directed video HERE.
Filmed on location at Joelton Hardware, Feed and Farmacy on Clarksville Pike in Joelton, TN, Mae makes the most of the location: a feed store, retail space, live venue, bar and grille combined. From the moment she picks up the phone in her top’n’bottom denim, she romps as she recounts the neon and jukebox failing to feel it, while clearly knowing her way around that hardware counter that stocks PVC, electric and plumbing parts, garden supplies and more.
“I wanted a location with some character and history to it for this shoot,” she says of the location. “Joelton Hardware has your actual hardware store needs, makes a great cup of coffee or a burger, and has live music almost every night of the week. That’s exactly what this song needed for the story to come to life!”
Established in 1964, it matches Estes’ no frills take on what makes country music great. Whether playing her acoustic hard in the bed of jacked up red with white paneled pick-up, whirling around the stage in a buckskin jacket or rocking the landline while running down the story of a pick-up roaring to life and the neon kicking back on, the raven-haired three-time Arkansas Country Female Vocalist delivers a tart’n’tangy clip that will bust up the afternoon tedium.
Born and raised in Hope, Arkansas (population just over 8,000), Mae creates country that understands how hard people work to make ends meet and how good blowing off steam on Friday night feels. Invoking hits from Brooks & Dunn, Conway Twitty, Billy Ray Cyrus and Alan Jackson, “The 90s Called” meets her influences where they are.
“I grew up watching CMT instead of the news with my Mama,” she offers. “You’d be hard-pressed to find a country music video from the 90s I haven’t seen. I’m sure you can see the little pieces I’ve subconsciously collected from all my favorite videos and artists in this one and I’m always proud to carry that with me into my own music today.”
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ABOUT MAE ESTES:
Armed with a powerhouse vocal and a knack for brutally honest storytelling, Hope, AR native Mae Estes has earned herself an impressive reputation as “a new-school torchbearer for Nashville tradition” (GRAMMY.com).
Mae signed her first publishing deal in 2020 and has since racked up more than 13 million streams across platforms and over 1 million views on YouTube, building a quickly growing fan base with her “vocal prowess and subject matter range” (PEOPLE).
In 2022, “Thinkin’ ‘Bout Cheatin’” became the first release from her debut EP as well as her first music video feature on CMT. In 2023, she was honored with her third consecutive Arkansas CMA Female Vocalist of the Year in her home state. The NHL Stadium Series, the Grand Ole Opry, PBR Stampede Series, Music City Grand Prix, The Bluebird Cafe, CMA Fest, Nissan Stadium, The Country Music Hall of Fame and more have hosted this “stone-cold country newcomer” (Whiskey Riff) poised for success. Signed to Blue Highway Records, she is one of the key country females to watch, being named to CMT’s Next Women of Country Class of 2024 and a slew of artist to watch lists (GRAMMY.com, iHeart Media, Absolute Radio, COWGIRL Magazine, Country Now, etc.). After lending her voice to a number of songs over the last year alongside artists including Ashley McBryde and Ashland Craft, Vince Gill, Braxton Keith, and Jake Worthington, more new music is expected from Mae soon.