New music video from Frank Hannon

For over four decades, Frank Hannon has been revered as one of rock music’s most exciting and expressive guitar voices. As the co-founder and lead guitarist of legendary rock outfit Tesla, his sound helped define an era by blending pure electric power with melodic writing and acoustic moments. From the scorching riffs of “Modern Day Cowboy” and “Little Suzi” to the delicate, Bach-inspired opening of “Love Song,” Frank earned his place in rock history as a player who could shift from blistering solos to flashes of delicate beauty.

By the time Tesla released their now-iconic Five Man Acoustical Jam in 1990, he’d already proven that his artistic output reached far beyond the loudness of arena rock, ushering in an “unplugged” movement before it was even fashionable. Beyond Tesla, his solo career has been a playground for exploration and reinvention; his catalogue, which includes several acclaimed records such as the LA Music Awards-nominated Six String Soldiers, reveals an adventurous creative spirit unchained by genre. He’s collaborated with artists including Rick Derringer, Dave Meniketti, Pat Travers and Dickey Betts, continuing to build bridges across generations of guitar-driven music. In 2020, Gibson honoured him with the Frank Hannon “Love Dove” acoustic, a signature guitar that symbolises his virtuosity as well as the emotional context that runs through his playing.

His latest record, Reflections, might just be his most intimate yet, serving up a collection of thirteen instrumental tracks recorded entirely on first takes using only an Audigo wireless mic and his cell phone to captures Frank at his most vulnerable and stripped back. Without the distraction of a full band or layered production, the spotlight falls squarely on his guitar, where intricate fingerpicking and bottleneck slide work recount tales of loss, perseverance and renewal. It’s a profoundly personal work that finds catharsis in simplicity, proof that great art often shines in tenderness.

That sense of cinematic intimacy carries through to his new music video for “This Is Goodbye,” a haunting single lifted from Reflections. Filmed in Northern California’s historic 1849 Bryant Cemetery, nestled in the heart of Gold Rush country, the black-and-white visuals mirror the track’s Western melancholy. The video features a touching performance from Christy Hannon, Frank’s wife and the daughter of Allman Brothers guitarist Dickey Betts, tethering the piece to both personal and musical legacy.

The video was co-created with filmmaker Brandon Gullion, a 36-year-old guitarist turned cinematographer whose collaboration with Frank has blossomed over the past five years. The two first met at a local rehearsal studio, where Frank instantly recognised Brandon’s intuitive eye for storytelling. Working with minimal gear, a Canon EOS camera, a gimbal and a handful of lens filters, the pair have developed a spontaneous, instinctive workflow that distils the emotion of the song into a stunning visual experience.

“Brandon will take my idea and turn it into a beautiful song video almost instantly. He has a gift for translating sound into imagery, and every time we collaborate, it comes out looking like a movie,” Frank shares. Together, they’ve crafted videos for Tesla and emerging artists like JT Loux, always capturing moments of incredible artistic expression. But with “This Is Goodbye,” they’ve created something truly timeless, a meditation on poignant themes, love and legacy, framed against the open sky and weathered headstones of the Old West. Just like Reflections, it’s a reminder that even in silence, Frank Hannon’s guitar still speaks louder than words.

Watch the music video for This Is Goodbye below

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