15 Years of “Bellingham State of Mind”
Fall of 2025 is the 15th anniversary of Bellingham State of Mind, a music video that I directed for a song by my friend, comedian and performer Nathan Cox. Bellingham State of Mind was a reimagining of Alicia Keys and Jay-Z’s Empire State of Mind, intended as a love letter to our community of Bellingham, Washington. At the time of its release, regional viewership of Bellingham State of Mind surged to such an extent that it was briefly featured on YouTube’s home page. It was subsequently acknowledged on Seattle network news, leading to Cox performing the song at a variety of events. The original video has been, as of this blog post, viewed 318k times on YouTube.
Nathan Cox in front of the Welcome to Bellingham mural on State St.
In 2010, Nathan was a writer and performer with the sketch comedy group Backflip Wilson and I was the co-founder, organizer, and often-time host of the local DIY film event Trailer Wars. As an ambassador for local film, I frequently fielded requests for low budget video projects. At the time, I tended to say yes to projects for the experience and collaborative thrill, but Nathan made it extra easy on this occasion. He approached me with the lyrics to the song (yet to be recorded at the time) and his passion won me over instantly. After he recorded the track, which fully licensed the beat from the Jay-Z song that inspired it, we set out to record the video.
Cox and Rashawn Nadine Scott at the fountain Red Square at Western Washington University.
Shot over the course of two days, we visited a variety of local locations, many of which are mentioned in the lyrics. I filmed it on my Canon VIXIA HF10. That model of camera was one of the first “prosumer” HD camcorder models in a pre-iPhone era. It was ideal for providing the video’s hometown charm while accommodating a run-and-gun production style and providing high-definition video—not common on YouTube at the time. Our shoot culminated with the recording of a stage performance of the song at The Fairhaven, a long-since shuttered local music spot in Bellingham.
The front page of the Bellingham Herald following the video’s release.
The rapturous response to the video remains a highlight of my creative career and while it remains rough around the edges, its status as a regional DIY success story has continued to earn me work. It was recognized with What’s Up! Magazine’s first-ever Best Music Video award at their annual ceremony in 2011. Nathan Cox is now an improv teacher and director at Jet City Improv in Seattle, and Rashawn Nadine Scott, also featured in the song and video, has gone on to perform at Second City in Chicago and has appeared in a number of television and film projects, including Abbot Elementary.
