Interview with Cody M. Brooks
By Hank Harlan, Senior Editor at Twang & Truth Magazine
Twang & Truth: Cody, congrats on the release of “She’s Poison Ivy.” That video is a wild ride! Where did you shoot it, and how’d you survive the heat?
Cody M. Brooks: Thanks, man! We shot it down in Amarillo, Texas, my home town—somewhere between where the GPS gave up and the cows started judging us. It was hot, humid, and that woods where we shot my vocal close-up scenes was full of actual poison ivy, which I now feel was maybe a little too “method”. But honestly, the whole shoot felt like filming a country music comedy piece. I even did most of my own stunts, except for the part where Poison Ivy points the gun at me—I pulled something in rehearsal and decided to let the camera operator step in on that.
T&T: Let’s talk about the woman in the video—she is Poison Ivy, right? The actress nailed it. Who is she?
Cody: That’s Shelby Rae McKenzie. She’s a Nashville actress who’s got more sass per square inch than anyone I’ve ever met. We auditioned a few people, but the second Shelby walked in and gave me a look that could kill crops, we knew we had our Ivy. She brought just the right balance of charm and bat-shit-crazy, ya know. Honestly, I was a little scared of her by day two, which is exactly what we wanted.
T&T: The song itself is super personal. People must relate to it. What inspired “She’s Poison Ivy”—was it really based on a stalker?
Cody: Oh yeah. I had this ex who just wouldn’t let go. I’d block her number, and she’d show up with a new one—like Pokémon, but slightly more terrifying. Once she drove 200 miles just to “coincidentally” run into me at a gas station. That’s not a meet-cute—that’s a meet-spooky. So I took all those weird, wild experiences and wrote “She’s Poison Ivy” to tell the story of love that sometimes turns into a rash-inducing vine that wraps around you and just squeezes. It’s really just therapy, but with an electric guitar.
T&T: You’ve got a way of turning pain into something funny and catchy. Is that your secret sauce?
Cody: Man, if I didn’t laugh, I’d cry—or drink too much whiskey. I like to think of my songs as supped-up, honky-tonk tales with a wink. Life’s crazy, love’s messy, and sometimes the only way to heal is to write a song that slaps hard enough to make your ex wish she’d been a little bit nicer.
T&T: Last question—what do you hope fans take away from this song and video?
Cody: I hope they laugh, relate, and maybe text that one friend, like, “Man, this song is totally about your ex.” Most of all, I hope it reminds folks that you can get out of bad situations with your sense of humor—and your guitar—mostly intact.
Catch Cody M. Brooks in “She’s Poison Ivy” now on YouTube, and subscribe for more outlaw charm and certified country chaos.
And remember—some exes are better left off the playlist. 🎸🌿💥
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