How do you find the light in a dark room?

How do you hold onto hope, when all seems hopeless?

Why fight the battle, when you’re likely to lose the war?

These are the questions that come to mind from listening to “Battleground,” the new single from world-aware folk artist Jack Barksdale (ft. Julian Taylor on backing vocals).

This sparse, haunting slice of alt-folk finds Barksdale commenting on the ever-intensifying battle between the ultra-wealthy and the common person in modern America, as seen through the eyes of a small-town woman who ends up on the right side of wrong. The Texas native paints a bleak picture of the one-sided power dynamic in today’s society, as our protagonist presses ahead through stacked decks and lost allies. She resolves desperately to create a brighter day — until her defiance ultimately catches up with her.

The music video for “Battleground” starts Erica Qualy, was filmed by Jamie Harmon, and was edited by Turtle Moon Films. Bailey Bigger joins Taylor on backing vocals, and the track was produced by Mark Edgar Stuart, engineered and mixed by Kevin Houston, and mastered by Matt Qualls.