Country singer Mallory Johnson releases first music video

A country music singer from Conception Bay South got a major surprise this weekend when her first music video was posted online, days before its was set to be released.

"I found out because a friend of mine tagged me on Facebook," Mallory Johnson told CBC News on Sunday.

"I had a premiere — kind of like a preview for the people who are involved in the video — the night before, and I thought some of my friends might have Snapchatted it and put it online and was like, 'Oh no!'"  

Johnson had been under the impression that her iTunes chart-topping song, Tupelo, the title track off her latest album, wasn't going to be released until Monday. But it went up on her official Vevo channel on Thursday.

Johnson recorded her latest album in Nashville alongside American country music star Sammy Kershaw. Kershaw produced the record and now manages Johnson.

"It's been awesome," she said. 

"Now it's kind of developed into this friendship. I trust him, he's a great guy, he's super sweet ... He's the type of person where fame hasn't gone to his head. He's like a cool uncle."

When it came time to create the video, Johnson said filming had its share of challenges.

A production company was hired to collect shots of Tupelo, the mild-weathered Mississippi town where Elvis was born, while the rest of the video was made in Goulds, St. John's — during an entirely different winter season.  

"So we were driving up and down Ruby Line, probably annoying a lot of people driving that day because we were going super slow," recalled Johnson.

I'm ecstatic, I'm terrified, nervous to get in front of a lot of big audiences...- Mallory Johnson

Johnson's brother, Cecil, owns Tuckamore Productions and agreed to direct, produce, film and edit "the whole video himself."

"So him and Kevin [Tobin of KT Creative] and myself kind of put our brains together, tried to figure out how were were going to go about pulling off a summer video in the winter."

'It took a village'

Johnson said it took a host of people to pull off the music video. Her best friend was her stylist, while others helped with set design and decorations. The Masonic Temple, a venue where the singer has performed dinner theatres for years, was used for a portion of the video where Johnson and her band perform for a wedding party.  

"It took a village," she said.

"It was definitely a lot of work but it was definitely a lot of fun too."

Opening act

Johnson and her manager plan to hit the road together this summer. Though official dates have not been set, Johnson said she's opening for some of Kershaw's summer tour dates.

"I'm ecstatic, I'm terrified, nervous to get in front of a lot of big audiences and stuff but I think it's just more excitement than anything. I can't wait. I can't wait to start playing live."

She said she also looks forward to playing in the United States, in front of audiences who haven't heard her music yet. 

Johnson said plans are also underway to release another single in May. 

"It's one that I wrote myself which is really exciting ... But that's all I can give away at the moment."