Behind the Video: “Somebody Else’s House” is Rebekah Gilbert’s Cautionary Tale about Family Secrets

Rebekah Gilbert’s latest single, “Somebody Else’s House,” depicts a haunting Southern Gothic story of generational secrets, deception, and inherited truths. Co-written with country songwriting sensation Amanda Williams, the song marks the first release from Gilbert’s upcoming Secret Keeper EP, offering a raw, bluesy country sound that digs deep into family history and buried pasts.

As a teenager, Gilbert discovered that her own ancestor had led a double life—running moonshine while secretly supporting a second family just miles away. That revelation lingered, reinforcing the idea that what happens behind closed doors often stays there unless someone decides to break the cycle.

Lyrically, the song has the weight of an old folk ballad, the kind of story passed down through generations, where shame and legacy are intertwined. The phrase “190 proof, bottled up under the same roof” is a powerful metaphor, suggesting both the literal presence of moonshine and the emotional intensity of secrets brewing within a family. Gilbert joins us for a Behind the Video interview and opens up about the creative journey behind this captivating and deeply personal new video.

Behind the scenes of Rebekah Gilbert’s music video “Somebody Else’s House”What’s the concept behind the video? Help us to understand the video’s concept in more detail and how it ties into the lyrics.

Rebekah Gilbert: “Since ‘Somebody Else’s House’ was inspired by the true story of one of my ancestors, I wanted to start out the video with a vintage look as I told the story through song. When the second verse comes in, the song becomes universal, so we switched to full-colour to represent present day. It’s based on the idea of generational cycles being passed down through families.”

What was your favourite part behind the creation of the video?

“My favourite part of creating this video was working with my family. One of my daughters and her boyfriend were the fighting characters in the video. My husband and my oldest daughter filmed it. It was our first time shooting a video. I paid them with pizza!”

Which statement seems most true to you: Music videos are a “high” form of art; music videos are a “low” form of art; music videos can be “high” or “low” art; it doesn’t matter, all art is art; it doesn’t matter, nothing really matters.

“All art is art. Whatever form art takes, there was a creator who put time, energy, and (probably) money into turning their vision into a reality. What matters is that someone saw their vision through to completion, and it will resonate with someone. That’s always a great delight to artists – knowing someone found value in what they created.”

Do you prefer writing a video around the theme of a song or just going to a warehouse and banging out a live performance?

“Well, this is my first video, so I don’t have personal experience from which to speak. But I grew up during the time when music videos were at their peak on TV. I spent hours watching videos, and my favourites were the ones that were based on the theme of a song. I enjoy seeing a visual representation of the lyrics.”

Behind the scenes of Rebekah Gilbert’s music video “Somebody Else’s House”

How important a role does social media play in sharing videos and increasing exposure?

“Social media is crucial to independent artists for increasing exposure. You can reach a large audience quickly, whereas if you had to depend on live shows to reach the same number of people, it would take much longer. It’s an inexpensive way to showcase the best of your videos in hopes that the viewer will convert to watching the entire video.”

Are the benefits worth the costs and effort involved?

“Since this is my first full-length video, I’m not sure. I created this video because I wanted to find out if it increased listenership to my music. It definitely involves a lot of time and energy, and from what I’ve researched, can be quite expensive. I went low-to-no budget with this first video to see what happens before I decide whether to shoot another one.”

Cover art for “Somebody Else’s House” by Rebekah Gilbert

Is a well-made DIY video just as good or beneficial as a professionally made/directed video?

“This is what I hope to find the answer to with this video. I have a video in mind for a later song release which will be professionally made and directed. So I’m interested in comparing the two. As long as the story is clear, I don’t think you can go wrong either way.”

What are some of your favourite music videos? What about when you were growing up?

“I was hooked on ’90s country music videos. I would sit in front of the TV and watch CMT for hours. Reba McEntire’s ‘Fancy’ video was one of my favourites. The visual storytelling was a perfect representation of the song as was Martina McBride’s ‘Independence Day’ video.

“One video that I always found intriguing was Robert Palmer’s ‘Addicted to Love.’ There was something about the women dressed identically and in glam makeup pretending to be band members that fascinated me.”