Eli Young Band just released a new single called "Love Ain't" on May 25. It's a catchy tune written by some of Nashville's top writers — Ross Copperman, Ashely Gorley and Shane McAnally. But the new video is what really takes the cake with the song.
For the new video, the North Texas four piece wanted to shine a light on a strong couple. So they approached the Wounded Warrior Project, which helps wounded veterans and active-duty soldiers. ""We said, 'Look, we have this idea, do you know any couples that would be willing to tell their story with our song?'" Mike Eli tells Billboard.
So the Wounded Warrior Project sent the band footage of Taylor and Danielle Morris, a couple that epitomizes the hard work, sacrifice and rewards of true love. Taylor lost four limbs after an explosion in Afghanistan. And that's when Danielle ran to his side.
She assisted in years of recovery and rehabilitation. Much of their journey was caught on video, and it comprises the entirety of the emotional video. Watch it below.
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It's a powerful video and a powerful message. In an even cooler twist, the Eli Young Band actually had a history with the couple. They played for a charity fundraiser when Taylor returned home after his rehabilitation. While it could've been easy to highlight the band in the video, they chose not to.
"We didn't want your normal video where the song mentions a red truck, and then you see one in the video," Eli says. "[Or] there's a shot of The Eli Young Band playing the song in a field. We've done a million videos like that, and I'm sure we will do more like that."
Instead, they wanted to highlight the struggles active duty soldiers and veterans face daily. "Some of these guys and gals who come home, their struggle doesn't end when the plane lands," Eli says. "Sometimes it's gets harder. I had two brothers who served in the Marines, and I know what my sisters went through in waiting for them to come home. Then, even when they do, sometimes their life is not always easy. Whether it's remembering [what happened] or the friends that they lost. It's a hard thing for them to figure that stuff out. It's a lot harder than we all realize."
