Heartland troubadour hero Peter Oren presents a special viewing of the visual for “Gnawed to the Bone (Come By)” animated and directed by Caroline Says (otherwise known as fellow Western Vinyl cohort Caroline Sallee). The latest reveal from the forthcoming album The Greener Pasture arriving April 24 via WV; a song about isolation and a pop art visual venture into the savage heart of lonely-town.

Caroline Sallee's surreal visual adapts the song into a paper cut-out styled narrative about a phantom that embarks upon a dreamlike adventure out into the city. The protagonist is comprised of a dollar bill shaped like a person who springs forth from under the bed of a weary character who claims the dreamer's eyes and skin until they literally resemble the namesake of Oren's song. The currency composed character enters the night, hits up a tavern for a pint before speeding away into the darkness on a motorcycle given to them outside the pub. Speeding into the night like a ghost rider on an indeterminable mission — Peter’s sincerely sung ballad continues to strum outward into the moonlight with plenty of insomniac heart.

Caroline Sallee of Caroline Says and Peter Oren shared the thoughts on the narratives behind the song and visual:

Caroline Sallee’s notes on the video: 

Inspired by Michel Gondry’s short construction paper animations on Instagram, I decided to make a stop motion video mostly out of paper, with a literal dollar bill representing the main character. What started as a word-for-word representation of the lyrics turned into a stream of consciousness plot following the man made of money and his lonely night out on the town.

Peter Oren’s thoughts on “Gnawed to the Bone (Come By):

Wrote the tune while living in a cabin near Nashville, IN, sitting on the porch at dusk listening to the owls. It was probably late spring to mid summer. It began mostly as a gibberish voice recording that was later deciphered and re-figured. Probably I was feeling lonesome because I let myself lean into excessive phone use for research.

The cabin is placed in a mature hardwood forest is about thirty minutes from my hometown, Columbus and thirty five from Bloomington, where I went to school for a couple years before dropping out. I didn't make either drive all that much while at the cabin. Just grew some tunes and sank deeper into phone culture.

I've Bloomeranged in and out of Bloomington in my adult years and often drive state road forty-six, which connects Columbus and Bloomington. Along that drive is Gnaw Bone, Indiana. It seems to have slipped into the song subconsciously.

It makes me wonder now in writing about it if I accidentally stole from someone else's song. Seems like something someone in Wonderhills would write.

Peter Oren’s The Greener Pasture will be available April 24 via Western Vinyl.