| Band plans to feature military families in video |
By: Clare Kennedy
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Posted: Thursday, November 19, 2009 10:42 pm
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Jane and David Allard hold a photo of their son Ben, a member of the U.S. Army who is currently serving in Afghanistan. Ben left for service overseas on Nov. 1.
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By CLARE KENNEDY
ckennedy@owatonna.com
OWATONNA — Ben Allard has gotten around since he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2008 — to Georgia, Missouri, Wisconsin and Afghanistan, where he is currently stationed.
Now the 21-year-old will be featured in a music video — at least in spirit.
Jane and David Allard will lend their faces and a photo of Ben in his dress greens to a music video for a band called Camera Can’t Lie.
With luck, they won’t be the only Steele County residents in the video. Camera Can’t Lie is sending out a general casting call to Steele County. The band is seeking military families for a music video for their song “Days and Days,” which is on an EP the band released last month.
The song is about separation and longing. Singer and guitarist Eric Arjes wrote the song as the band was recording its album in Los Angeles. The band drew a connection to military families gradually, said Arjes, a graduate of Owatonna High School.
“It’s written from the perspective of someone being away from people you love,” Arjes said. “And the more people I showed it to the more it seemed that the song had a connection to people in the military.”
Arjes said the band wanted to honor soldiers for putting their lives on the line for their country.
“The sacrifice they make is so great and so selfless,” Arjes said. “This is a way to give back to them.”
As he contemplated the song he found himself thinking about those left behind, waiting for their loved one to come home.
“You hear a lot about soldiers who have died or are injured, but isn’t often considered newsworthy to miss someone,” Arjes said.
The video, he said, will help connect the two dots. Each military family will be featured in a quick cut. Loved ones will hold an 8-by-10-inch photo of their soldier while while the band plays on.
The Allards first heard of the project about a week ago, through Facebook.
“It immediately appealed to me,” said Jane Allard. “It’s really cool that the band is choosing to do this.”
Arjes said they have found about 10 to 12 families that have agreed to be in the video, though they would like 30 ultimately.
The band will film the video at Celebration Church in Lakeville on Dec. 2. The video will be released to the Web on Christmas Eve. There is a chance that it may end up on television at some point, Arjes said, but so far plans are tenuous.
Anyone interested in participating should contact band@cameracantlie.com.
Camera Can’t Lie has been together for about two-and-half years, though Arjes and bassist Kyle Lindsay met while students at OHS. They signed with Atlantic Records in the spring of 2008.
The band will release a full length album next year. The band is fresh off a tour that took them all over the Midwest, Northwest and West Coast. Arjes said he and his bandmates will be home for the holidays before they head out on another tour in 2010.
Clare Kennedy can be reached at 444-2376.
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