Hurray for the Riff Raff is the brainchild of Alynda Lee Segarra, a 26-year-old native New Yorker who grew up in the Bronx, fled home at the age of 17, and eventually settled in New Orleans. On February 11, the roots revivalist will release her newest album, the 12-track Small Town Heroes, due out via ATO Records and currently up for pre-order through iTunes. In advance of the upcoming LP, Hurray for the Riff Raff share the video for “St. Roch Blues,” a soulful six-minute tribute to the New Orleans neighborhood of St. Roch that’s inspired by a horrifying series of murders that took place in the area in 2011.
Directed by Joshua Shoemaker and featuring members of Louisiana outfit the Deslondes, the clip draws a line from Segarra’s past to present. The video offers a tour of the titular community, while the music — powered by Segarra’s captivating voice and punctuated with timely finger snaps — carries on the doo-wop tradition associated with her childhood hometown. Watch the video above.
