If there’s one thing we love at Nerdist, it’s a nerdy creator. Today, it’s our pleasure to spotlight Jason Charles Miller, a voice you probably know well if you’re a Critical Role, Metal Gear Rising, Cyberpunk 2077, Legends of the Multiverse, or Final Fantasy XIV fan, and the list goes on. The truly beautiful thing to us about Jason Charles Miller’s career is that it’s all about the nerdery. From singing in video games to acting in video games to acting in animated series and more, every credit Jason Charles Miller has is a delightfully geeky one. (And that includes Nerdist‘s “All Kings Considered” show.) This commitment to passionate nerdiness continues in his latest album, “ Knives in the Dark.” And, so, it’s our honor to exclusively premiere the music video for one of Jason Charles Miller’s best new songs, “Digging in the Dust. Trust us, if you’re a sci-fi fan, you won’t want to miss this.
The “Digging in the Dust” Music Video Has Now Landed
Be one of the first to experience the “Digging in the Dust” music video below:
As mentioned above, Jason Charles Miller is a consummate nerd. He has deep connections to the geek, gaming, and Dungeons & Dragons world. But, damn, he looks cool doing it. And sounds incredible as well. We feel totally obsessed with the sci-fi themes in the “Digging in the Dust” music video. The story of this song is one that anyone can relate to, one of love and loss. But choosing to tell it visually with a sci-fi spin is the best way to do it, in our opinion. It brings something greater to the table: a feeling of narrative, magic, and richness that might not otherwise be present. We love how the video creates a out-of-this-world story for the song that has our gears turning.
And, honestly, get this skeleton astronaut his own show or game, stat. He’s a truly iconic figure. Watching this “Digging in the Dust” music video, we get Doctor Who hints, Fallout vibes, Star Wars energy, maybe some Dune, and a little sprinkle of Black Mirror. It’s an excellent combination if we do say so ourselves. We may even have to steal this setting for our next D&D campaign. Space skeleton cowboy land, here we come. That’s not to even begin to delve into the catchiness of “Digging in the Dust.” We’ll be swaying along and singing to it all day.
Jason Charles Miller and Director Andrew Fogel Delve Deeper Into the Song and Video
To get even deeper into this song and its music video, Jason Charles Miller and director Andrew Fogel shared some exclusive insights with us about “Digging in the Dust.” Take a look at their thoughts below.
What was the inspiration behind “Digging in the Dust?”
Jason Charles Miller: It’s really about a relationship that’s already collapsed. It’s about a relationship where people are going through the motions. They know that it’s over, but they’re not sure how to admit it to themselves. And then that’s what’s great about the dichotomy of the video because the video is showing that in a completely different way.
What was the inspiration behind the powerful “Digging in the Dust” music video?
Andrew Fogel: Ultimately, it’s sort of how powerful love can be, that love can bring somebody back from the dead and allow them to traverse miles and miles and be reunited with someone. At its core, it’s a simple story about human emotion, but told through the lens of this sprawling sci-fi, cosmic supernatural kind of thing.
Jason Charles Miller: The video shows that there are multiple ways to interpret song lyrics. Everyone brings their own history and experiences to the music they listen to, and they often apply the lyrics to their own lives with their unique viewpoints. This particular song and its video exemplify that idea. The song may have been written with one intention, but the individuals interpreting it might take it in another direction, though ultimately arriving at a similar understanding, showing that songs can resonate with people in different ways.
Why incorporate a sci-fi element into the “Digging in the Dust” music video?
Andrew Fogel: I’ve always been really fascinated and attracted to the visual imagery of a dead astronaut. I think that’s something that’s really iconic and just sort of always has sent my imagination running wild. And with this music video I was finally able to share that vision in the best way possible.
We spent three days driving all over the California desert to various locations such as Barstow, Victoriaville and Mojave just to find these really spectacular locations that felt like being on another planet.
There’s any number of genres that we could have used to tell a similar story, but the incorporating the sci-fi element was something visually striking and intriguing, and it touches on Jason’s background in the sci-fantasy world.
Any final thoughts about “Digging in the Dust” and its Music Video?
Jason Charles Miller: I’ve worked with Nerdist for many years appearing on different shows they’ve produced, and being able to have Nerdist debut “Digging in the Dust” and being recognized for the music side is surreal. They are the gold standard for all things sci-fi, fantasy, gaming, and fandom, so to be featured on their site is pretty fantastic.
Andrew Fogel: The music video is pretty much about the supernatural power of love and, for me, making the video was a labor of love. I also wanted to highlight Shane O’Loughlin who played the astronaut character. The physicality and pathos that have brought to the role was really incredible, and the video would not be the same without that performance.
Where Can You Listen to Jason Charles Miller?
You can listen to “Digging in the Dust” and the rest of “Knives in the Dark” on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Pandora, and more. (And also below!) And make sure to check out Jason Charles Miller live if he’s swinging by your city.
A Little Bit More About the Artist
In case you’d like to know just a little bit more about what Jason Charles Miller has been up to, you can check out some cool details of his career below:
In the world of video games, Jason was lead vocalist on the Billboard chart-topping theme song for the ‘Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers’ in 2019, and has since gone on to sing several more songs for the FFXIV franchise and perform around the world at FFXIV-sanctioned live events. He’s also contributed vocals to the critically acclaimed ‘Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance’ soundtrack, co-written three songs to the highest selling video game of 2020, ‘Cyberpunk 2077,’ co-written theme songs for ‘Critical Role’ and Amazon Prime’s ‘The Legend of Vox Machina,’ and has even sang backup for Robert Smith of The Cure on the Gabrels/Smith track “Yesterday’s Gone.” For the launch of a Klingon-themed expansion, Jason was hired by ‘Star Trek Online’ to write a metal song about the Klingon home world.
As a SOVA winning voice actor, Jason can be heard in hundreds of video games, commercials,
animated series and documentaries. Career highlights include the World of Warcraft, Halo,
Street Fighter and Elder Scrolls franchises, as well as Avatar: The Last Airbender, Attack on Titan
and Batman. He’s even narrated a film for NASA.
We can’t wait to see what incredibly nerdy sounds and creations Jason Charles Miller sends our way next.