Kacey Musgraves – “Mother” (Official Music Video)

Role: Colorist
Client: Kacey Musgraves / Lost Highway Records
Project Type: Music Video
Industry: Music / Visual Storytelling / Pop-Country

I was brought on as the colorist for Kacey Musgraves’ official music video for “Mother”—a dreamy, emotionally resonant visual that pairs minimal piano with a cinematic one-shot performance. My role focused on creating a soft, ethereal grade that visually complements the song’s intimacy and vulnerability, while reinforcing the warmth and fragility at the core of the narrative.

Kacey Musgraves performs “Mother” in a single-take visual story. I was responsible for the color grading, enhancing the emotional tone with subtle contrast shifts, gentle highlights, and a palette designed to feel both timeless and deeply personal.

Mother– Official Music Video

Crafting Tone Through Color

The entire visual takes place in a controlled, monochromatic space, which gave me room to focus on subtle tonal shifts and highlight refinement. I built the grade to support:

  • A clean, low-contrast aesthetic

  • Subtle warmth and ivory tones

  • Skin tone preservation and softness

  • Highlight control for a delicate visual texture

Tools used: DaVinci Resolve

The grade focused on creating softness without losing detail, elevating skin tones, and gently muting background elements to draw the eye inward. The use of whites and neutrals helped express the song’s sense of longing, memory, and maternal tenderness.

Color Grading – Before & After

Project Name: Kacey Musgraves – Mother (Official Video)
Client: Kacey Musgraves / Lost Highway Records
My Role: Color Grading
Tool Used: DaVinci Resolve
Director: Stephen Kinigopoulos, Alexa Stone
Distribution: YouTube, Apple Music, Social Media, Broadcast

Looking for cinematic color work for music videos or visual storytelling?

Let’s collaborate on creating mood and emotion through intentional, story-driven color.