Singled Out: Clayton Chaney's Roots Grow Deep

The Show Ponies frontman Clayton Chaney just released his new solo album "Too Far," and to celebrate we asked him to tell us about the song "Roots Grow Deep." Here is the story:

"Roots Grow Deep" is a 6/8 country ballad about the first apartment my wife and I lived in in Glendale, CA, right outside Los Angeles. It was one of those classic, two-story, 1960s apartment buildings with a pool in the courtyard. Nothing too special, but very affordable and rent-controlled. It was one of those places where when you move in it looks like the carpets have just been cleaned, but once you live there a few weeks, random stains just start appearing and you can't get them out. It had popcorn ceilings, we could hear everything on the other sides of our shared walls, and the blinds never opened or closed the way they were supposed to. We didn't complain too much because it was so cheap compared to the rest of LA.

We initially thought we would live there for a year or so and then get to a point where we could afford something a little nicer. We were always looking at other places and trying to get out of there, but we could never justify a significant increase in rent. We were even looking to move back to Arkansas at one point, but no matter how hard we tried to get out, it just felt like something was anchoring us to this little apartment in Glendale. Living there was a lesson that "the grass isn't always greener on the other side." The idea of moving started to feel more like running away than running towards. We tend to think that changing our environment will solve our problems, but it is often more the case that our problems follow us wherever we go if we don't lean into and cherish the place we live.

The bridge of "Roots Grow Deep" quotes a song I wrote in 2011 with The Show Ponies, "We'll never be where we want to be 'til we want to be where we are." I wrote this song after years of living in that apartment, trying to find somewhere better to live, and then finally getting to a place emotionally where I could proudly say, "This is my home." Not too long after I wrote "Roots Grow Deep" and feeling a sense of contentment in our little Glendale apartment, we got the opportunity to move into a cute little bungalow/backhouse in Pasadena. If we're not mindful, we find a hundred things to complain about with the house we currently rent. But when we get into the practice of being grateful for where we are, we really feel at home.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen and watch for yourself below and learn more here

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