Rebecca Loebe, ‘Southern Man’ Music Video [Exclusive Premiere]

Former The Voice contestant Rebecca Loebe is premiering the music video for her cover of Neil Young’s “Southern Man” exclusively for readers of The Boot.

Loebe's take on the classic song about Southern racism appears on her newly released EP, Vittles & Valentines, but it's been in her repertoire much longer. Loebe first put her own spin on the song for a Young tribute show, and was working on her arrangement of the tune when 25-year-old Freddie Gray died in police custody in Baltimore, Md., in April of 2015. By the time the tribute concert rolled around, people were rioting in protest of Gray’s treatment.

"The song has always spoken to me, and when given the chance to perform a few songs from [Young's] catalog, I immediately jumped on that one,” Loebe explains. “The first time I sang this song onstage, I was crying by the end."

After that show, Loebe added “Southern Man” to her live shows; she performs it as an encore, and it's quickly become a fan favorite.

Loebe's "Southern Man" music video was shot on the porch of Rubicon Studios, near her home in Austin, Texas. Like the clip, the track itself was recorded outside.

"We recorded most of the album in the studio -- you know, indoors." Loebe says. "But for “Southern Man,” the producer suggested we set up all the mics on the porch and record out there. So that’s what we did.”

Readers can press play above to watch Loebe's "Southern Man" video. On Wednesday (Aug. 17), also her birthday, Loebe released her Vittles & Valentines EP as a "surprise collection" of acoustic songs. The project is currently available for purchase via NoiseTrade.

The Virginia-born and Georgia-raised Loebe first found fame after appearing on the first season of NBC’s The Voice. Her performance of Nirvana’s “Come as You Are” made her a shoo-in with the judges and earned her a Top 10 iTunes single in the U.S., Canada, Europe and South America. Currently on tour in the States, Loebe will head to Europe in September for a series of dates in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands; for more information on Loebe and her concert schedule, visit her official website.