Nashville-based Old Crow Medicine Show, has released a music video for their cover of Jimmie Rodgers ‘”In the Jailhouse Now” from charitable album Better Than Jail. (watch above)
Better Than Jail, a benefit album featuring top Country, Americana and Blues artists covering iconic prison songs, paying homage to a rich musical legacy, while raising awareness and support for the urgent need to reduce the harm of the criminal justice system. All proceeds from Better Than Jail support two organizations doing on-the-ground work to make things better: Equal Justice USA and Free Hearts.
Featuring moving visuals of incarcerated people throughout history, the official music video of Old Crow Medicine Show’s cover of ‘In the Jailhouse Now’ aims to lift up the full humanity of incarcerated people and remind people we can do Better Than Jail.
Ketch Secor, co-founder and frontman of Old Crow Medicine Show said of the band’s cover of ‘In the Jailhouse Now’ and participation in the project; “We are proud and truly humbled by the scope and magnitude of this project. Everyday life looks a whole lot different for the men and women behind bars, and, with our inclusion in Better Than Jail we seek to ally ourselves with those organizations shining a light in prisons across the country. The quintessential track “In the Jailhouse Now’ is one of Country music’s most popular songs about the big house. During the global pandemic, prison activists – primarily wives, moms, and children of the incarcerated – gathered on the steps of our state capitol to demand a safer environment for inmates in Tennessee. We kept these family members in our hearts as we recorded this song.”
Other artists lending their voice to Better Than Jail include Cedric Burnside, Hayes Carll & Allison Moorer, Bonnie Raitt, Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires, Lukas Nelson, Margo Price, Raul Malo, Silverada, Steve Earle, Taj Mahal, and The War and Treaty. Together, these artists, who have lent their time, talent, and platforms to this important cause, shine a light on the need for comprehensive criminal justice reform through iconic and storied songs. In addition to seminal covers, Better Than Jail also features an original song, ‘Color of a Cloudy Day,’ written and performed by Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires. The track, originally written for the 2015 documentary film ‘The Fear of 13,’ will be widely available for the first time with the release of Better Than Jail.
By supporting Equal Justice USA and Free Hearts, Better Than Jail aims to invest in community-based services that decrease the use of jails and keep incarcerated individuals connected to their families. Better Than Jail also advocates for providing more meaningful reentry resources to help formerly incarcerated people find jobs and housing, reducing barriers to successful reintegration into society.
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