Charlie Marie‘s “El Paso” chronicles a breakup that seems fairly typical as far as breakups go — until the final line of the chorus. The new song, and its accompanying music video, are premiering exclusively on The Boot; press play below to listen and watch.
“The past can feel like an uncharted dessert you’re too weak to cross,” Marie tells The Boot of “El Paso,” a song that’s based on a true story. “A lesson I learned the hard way,” she adds, “is that hurt people hurt people.”
A classic country ballad, “El Paso” details the split in question over a steady, shuffling beat accented by tambourine, keys and steel guitar. “Guess our love was just an act, a part for you to play … I never saw it coming / It was all a waste of time,” Marie sings, hinting at the underlying reason for this breakup.
“He left me for a man,” Marie reveals. “You love who you love / Baby, that’s not a crime,” she clarifies, “but a cheater is a cheater / Your dirty laundry’s on the line …”
Marie filmed her “El Paso” music video at Newbury Beach, in the Plum Island area of Massachusetts. The sunrise and “bone-chilling Atlantic blue,” she says, made the early-morning call time and chilly breeze completely worth it.
“El Paso” is one of 12 songs on Marie’s forthcoming full-length debut album, Ramble On. The project, written in both New England and Nashville and recorded in Music City, follows a self-titled EP from 2019.
“I wanted the record to sound like if Patsy Cline and Dwight Yoakam had a child,” Marie explains. “It doesn’t just symbolize everything I’m working toward; it symbolizes where I come from, too.”
A Providence, R.I., native, Marie began both singing and riding horses around the age of 10 — a fortuitous combination, as she’d spend her car rides to and from riding lessons listening to country music. A music teacher had compared Marie’s voice to Cline’s so she delved into both classic artists’ catalogs and the ’90s country music that was popular at the time, before fronting her own country band as a teenager.
“Pursuing music has been an adventure for me, and I recognize that in other artists’ pursuits as well,” Marie says. “Sometimes you’re tired and unsure of what lies ahead, but you’ve come too far to quit. The only thing you can do is continue chasing the dream.”
“El Paso” is due out widely on Friday (March 19), and available to pre-save now; Ramble On is also available for pre-order and to pre-save ahead of its May 7 release. Fans can keep up with Marie at CharlieMarieMusic.com.
Listen to Charlie Marie’s “El Paso”:
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