Chris Bullinger Shares “Shine” Music Video

Nashville-based singer-songwriter Chris Bullinger has released the official music video for “Shine,” a centrepiece from his conceptual double album Waitin’ to be Seen – Part 2. The video was filmed entirely in Asheville, NC, with a local cast and crew, shortly after the community was rocked by severe flooding.

Directed by Asheville-based filmmaker Simon Bonneau, the video serves as both an artistic statement and a tribute to the city’s enduring creative spirit.

Bonneau shares:

“We’re especially grateful to the team at The Wortham Center, who welcomed us backstage and gave us the freedom to bring this vision to life. The cast and crew, who were a mix of old and new friends, came together beautifully with the clear intention of giving their best to the project.”

Shot behind the curtain of a theatre, the video captures a series of performers—ballet dancers, clowns, and other costumed figures—preparing for the stage. It’s an unvarnished and emotionally honest portrait of backstage life, where moments of vulnerability, fatigue, and quiet resolve unfold just before the lights come up. Despite the weariness in their eyes, the performers apply their makeup, step into their roles, and move forward—mirroring the song’s message: that even when we feel broken or unseen, we still find ways to show up and shine.

Bullinger reflects:

“Filming a video is like recording a song because it’s so collaborative and so much creativity shines through. And it requires trust. Because it’s not just one person. But it’s also not like recording a song, because with a song, I pretty much know what I’ve got after about a half an hour with a guitar. I really know what’s cookin’ after an hour with the band. But with a video we film all day and got nothin’ but some cold pizza and warm beer. Then, after the team works its magic back in the workshop, it all comes together. Songwriting is frontloaded; videos seem to be backloaded. Cool process to stretch the noggin’.”

Chris Bullinger ‘Waitin’ To Be Seen’ album artwork

Bullinger, who spent years building one of North America’s largest solar energy developers before transitioning fully into music, brings a rare depth of perspective to his work. Raised in the Midwest and inspired by the likes of Townes Van Zandt and Steve Earle, he’s released five critically acclaimed albums. Waitin’ To Be Seen, recorded at The Bomb Shelter in Nashville, marked the conclusion of his “Bomb Shelter Trilogy,” blending country grit with poetic introspection and a rock n’ roll edge.

“Shine” was first released as a single in the lead-up to Part 2 and quickly emerged as a defining track.

The “Shine” music video arrives as a powerful postscript to the Waitin’ To Be Seen album era—and a bridge to what comes next. Bullinger is currently preparing to unveil a new slate of material, with more releases expected later this year

Waitin’ To Be Seen, Part 2 Track Listing:

1. Crawlin’ My Way Back to You
2. Meet You Down the Line
3. Salvation As I Know It
4. Better Half
5. Remember Me
6. Through the Dark
7. Shine
8. Lazy Green Dream
9. To Glow
10. Where We Were
11. Offerin’ Acceptance