Alison Krauss & Union Station - If I Didn't Know Any Better

What this video is

Released in 2004 from the gold-certified album Lonely Runs Both Ways on Rounder Records, this video arrives at the apex of Alison Krauss & Union Station's mainstream cultural penetration — a period catalyzed by the O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Cold Mountain soundtracks. The deliberate selection of a rock-world director (Isham) to helm an acoustic bluegrass video reflects AKUS's strategic bridging of genre…

Why it matters

Represents a landmark moment in bluegrass-crossover video production: the genre's leading act commissioning an MTV-pedigree rock director to bring cinematic production values to acoustic roots music. The slow editorial tempo and warm realist aesthetic codified a visual grammar for neo-traditional…

The director

Wayne Isham (born December 2, 1958, Vinita, Oklahoma) is an American music video and film director with over 200 credited projects. A UC Santa Barbara alumnus, he built his reputation directing arena rock acts including Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Metallica, and…