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Video Spotlight: Misty Mountains by Peter Hollens featuring Tim Foust

One thing I really like about a cappella artists is how open they are to fan requests. It may help that many of them are independent and so either don't have a record label to go through or have their own label. They can pretty much do whatever they want, especially what with all the various crowdfunding websites out there. The most significant one being Patreon, in my personal opinion. With Patreon, the fans become the support system for the artist. It gives its creators a way to create whatever it is that they create. Music videos, in this case. I believe that this makes them even more open to fan requests.

Don't get me wrong. I think that artists can and should have the final say when it comes to the music that they make. A song has to be a good fit for them and all the better if it's one that they genuinely enjoy doing. But as a fan, it's nice to feel like an artist values your opinion. It makes you feel like you are truly a part of their musical journey. Even if only a small one. As Peter Hollens constantly says, he does the music that his fans request. Over the past couple of years, Peter has done a few covers of songs from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies because people kept requesting them. Earlier this year, he announced that he would be putting out an album of 12 of these songs. Some of which he'd already done, but he put new spins on them. Said album came out in March and it's great. He's already released a couple of videos of songs from this album. One of them being "Misty Mountains" which is one of the songs he had done before. This time, he recruited Mr. Tim Foust. The bass singer of country music's first a cappella band Home Free. You may have seen me mention them once or twice or dozens of times. 

If you remember the first Hobbit movie, "Misty Mountains" is the song that Thorin (played by the very talented Richard Armitage) and the other dwarves in his company sing by the fireplace at Bilbo's house the night before they embark on their mission to win back their kingdom. It is one of my favorite scenes in all of the Hobbit movies. It's a fantastic scene. The song is dark and solemn and does a great job driving home the importance of their mission. Worth noting that they only perform two of the stanzas in the movie. I really like Peter's other version of this that's just him, but adding Tim takes it to another level entirely.

Watch. As always, headphones are strongly recommended.




Whew. Where to begin? I'll start by saying that I love the costumes. They add a lot to the overall atmosphere of the video. Great location. I like when you see the scenery through Peter; it's a cool effect. Then there's the way they used the lighting. Peter's voice is so pure and clear and so he gets a little more light around him. Whereas Tim is more in the shadows which works well with that deep voice of his. It's really not a huge difference, but just enough to add some contrast. Which works because their voices are so different. I love the way they sound together.

As a Home Free fan, it was fun getting to see Tim do something like this that shows off a different side of his voice. It's darker than usual in this and it seems grittier than his usual which suits this song wonderfully. Throw in the costume and the way he's staring down the camera the whole time. My goodness. He barely blinks in this. To go from that opening shot of the trio of humming Peters to that first glimpse of Tim was a little jarring the first time. In the best way possible. He legtimately looks like a king determined to win back the kingdom that was stolen from him. No matter what it takes. This would make you put your faith and trust in him as your king. Not the type of character you want to go up against. The message here is quite clear: enemies beware. King Tim is coming for you. Running would be probably be the smartest course of action. But honestly, you get the impression that he'd just hunt you down anyway.

It's so interesting to go from his first verse to Peter's.You have not only the contrast between their voices, but there's also a slight shift in mood. It's kind of like Tim's part has this undercurrent of righteous anger whereas Peter's seems underlined with sorrow. This is especially evident around the 3:30 mark with the split screen. Two emotions that would undoubtedly be felt by anyone who has had their home taken away from them and especially when taken through violent means. As is the case in the story. I have no problems believing that these two have suffered a horrific loss and are now about to start their epic quest to win back their homeland. The harmonies in this are just beautiful, as per Peter's usual. I always think it's worth going back and listening again while focusing more on what's going on in the background. Nice touch with the camera shaking at the end to complement that insanely low note.

Great job, gentlemen.

If you enjoyed "Misty Mountains" and want to keep up with Peter and Tim, I got you covered.
Peter's socials:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Instagram
Patreon

Tim's socials:
Home Free's Website
Tim's Website
https://www.facebook.com/TimFoustMusic
Twitter
Instagram





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