Ike Reilly Speaks From the Heart to America With “Am I Still the One For You?” (premiere)

Ike Reilly‘s Crooked Love (released via Rock Ridge Music) provides listeners with a treasure trove of smart, direct songs in the manner the veteran musician has long delivered. The latest tune culled from said LP, “Am I Still the One For You?” is no exception. The song speaks to Reilly‘s complex relationship with the United States, something he addresses at the start of a new video shot at New York City’s the Loft at City Winery by One on One Cellar Session and is part of a series of videos to be unveiled at PopMatters in the coming weeks.

Discussing the lyrics, Reilly says, “I wrote the words after Trayvon Martin was murdered. Another senseless killing politicized. It’s not specific to Trayvon’s death, but some of the shit I heard following his death made me sick and disappointed in America. Disappointed again. So, I wrote this poem about my relationship with my country. Asking whether or not America wanted me anymore and whether or not I wanted America anymore. If you’re wondering, we decided to stay together.”

The video, he adds, speaks to another intimate relationship. “I really dug working with Ehud Lazin filming this session at City Winery,” Riley notes. “He was great, and I had a nice salad. It’s strange to perform a song on a stage to an empty room, so I just pretended to seduce Ehud as I sung. I’m not certain, but it appeared he responded favorably.”