Behind the Video: Matt Lang Leans into His “I’ve Learned” Music Video

Based on his roots, you might not automatically think of Matt Lang as a country artist. But country is his genre of choice, and he came through with a highly regarded album in All Night Longer. Released in the spring of 2024, the album is a testament to Lang’s hard work over the years. He proudly hails from Maniwaki, Quebec, a small town about a 90-minute drive from Canada’s capital of Ottawa. Coming from a French Canadian background, it was Lang’s mission to bring Nashville to Quebec. It was the spring of 2018 when he ventured down to Nashville to record his first-ever English language album. Quite remarkably, he didn’t speak any English at that point. He has learned fast and become one of Canada’s premier country artists.

Lang has returned in 2025 with some single releases. He recently put out “I’ve Learned,” a song meant to remind you to cherish the things that you have and what’s important to you. This was preceded by the winter release of “Back to the Bar,” a feel-good radio song. Lang has had multiple Top 10 Canadian Country radio hits. His songs are heavily inspired by the staples of country music dating back to the mid-20th century. But there’s something uniquely Canadian about his songs, an element which he is very proud of.

Lang released the music video for “I’ve Learned” last month. Today, he joins us for a Behind the Video interview, discussing the making of the video and its inspirations.

Who directed the video?

Matt Lang: “The video was directed by Agence Ranch and Forêt Sauvage Films.”

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.

“To me, the song is about knowing what really means something to you and what brings you true happiness. Family should be at the top of the list, and sometimes life, work, and a million other things get in the way of quality time with the ones you love. The music video was built around a family tradition of a son growing up going fishing with his dad and repeating the story with his own son years later.

“My son Theo and my dad Denis are featured in the music video, and that makes it extra special. You can’t really tell if the images are throwbacks of me and my dad when I was growing up, or my son and his granddad. It’s just a beautiful moment frozen in time for us and a reminder to take time for those family activities. Time flies so quickly, and there are moments that you just can’t get back once they’re gone.”

Matt Lang “I’ve Learned” single artwork

Where was it made?

“It was filmed in Lac Supérieur, in the Laurentian Mountains, near Mont-Tremblant. It’s about two and a half hours north of Montreal, Quebec and about halfway between Montreal and my hometown of Maniwaki.”

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

“It was such a beautiful and peaceful setup, but my favourite part has to be doing this video with people I love. This song is so special to me, and the meaning of it hits close to home. Singing about how time doesn’t stand still and how we have to cherish every moment, despite the inevitability of goodbyes, is a very sensitive subject to me. I lost my mom three days after recording this song, and even though I was super close to my mom and was lucky to have an amazing relationship with her, she was gone way too soon, and I wish we would have had more time together.

“Filming the music video with my son and my dad felt right, and necessary, honestly. Sharing this with them is part of the grieving process, and I can’t wait for my son to be old enough to understand how special this day was, and this video is to us.”

Based on how this one was made, are you looking forward to doing another?

“My songs and music videos are usually very upbeat, happy, and festive. Doing an emotional video like that was a first for me, and I’m happy I got a chance to be vulnerable to show that side of me. I’m super proud of the song and of the video, but I think the next one will be very different (laughs)!”

What should a music video set out to accomplish? Do you feel like yours did that?

“To me, a music video provides a visual concept to a song, but a song can be interpreted differently by different people. For the ‘I’ve Learned video, we had a concept of a fishing day with a dad and his son, we wanted to show a concept of time passing, we wanted it to reflect strong family values, but we didn’t want too much detail so people can still create their own interpretation and make this song theirs as well. Initially, this song is not necessarily about grief and losing someone you love, it could be about learning from your mistakes or about having a better balance in life if work gets in the way too much. It could be many things.

“In this case, I think the music video had to give room for those different interpretations. It had to be personal, yet not too much. The picture of my mom and me that we used for the artwork appears in the video while I’m driving the truck, but it’s the only reference. I think a great music video and a great song are where people can relate to it.”

What’s your favourite thing about music videos?

“If I’m honest, when I record music, I think about how it’ll sound and look live before I think of a music video. I’m not the kind of guy who watches a lot of music videos. That process comes later when we brainstorm how we can promote the song, and I’m not necessarily the one who comes up with the first ideas. I have a team around me that knows me really well, and when they pitch something to me, I’m generally always on board. Social media and videos are not always my strong suit, but it’s part of the job and the way I see music videos, they freeze a moment in time and they tell a story, they’re memories that will live on forever, that I’ll be able to show my kids and that they can show their own kids one day.”

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

“I personally love both, I love having my band in the videos and the energy of a live performance. My shows are very festive and energetic, so it’s nice to slow down sometimes and show a different side.

“So far, all my music videos have been pretty different. I remember we did one during the pandemic in a warehouse, just me dancing, no one was allowed on set, I wasn’t sure about the concept, but it turned out great, and I’m still super happy with it.”

Matt Lang “I’ve Learned” behind the video, photo courtesy Agence Ranch

Matt Lang “I’ve Learned” behind the video, photo courtesy Agence Ranch

Matt Lang “I’ve Learned” behind the video, photo courtesy Agence Ranch