Lafayette, Louisiana’s K.C. Jones has released a video for her single “Queen of the In Between”, directed by cinematographer Tom Krueger (U2, R.E.M., Bruce Springsteen). “I indecisively reign supreme,” she boasts. “You want an answer, well don’t ask me,” she forcefully proclaims over footage of abandoned hotel rooms, decrepit buildings, and an empty barroom (not counting the ghosts of dancers). Jones’ presence itself is the only constant. Her expression is difficult to read. After all, she celebrates uncertainty and not knowing. She exudes mystery over brooding guitar lines and a chorus of female voices.
Jones hails from an Appalachian background before moving to Southwest Louisiana and joining progressive Cajun bands like GRAMMY-nominated Feufollet and T’Monde. “Queen of the In Between” is the title track from her debut full-length solo release. Jones smartly captures the moody vibe of someone who knows enough to understand that one can never really know enough. Inaction itself is an action. Not deciding is a form of deciding. Life is a conundrum.
That’s why Krueger films the first half of the video in black and white before colors start creeping in. What at first seems simple (an either/or choice) turns into something more complex. While being uncertain seems an easier way to be, the opposite usually turns out to be true. Being unsure makes things more complicated. Jones delivers her lines with a straight face. Her expression reveals her sophistication. She ends up back at the same forsaken hotel where she began. Nothing has changed. Or has it?