Steve Martin’s ‘New Cluck Old Hen’ Video Revives an Appalachian Tune—But the “Fiction” Claim Raises a Quiet Question

steve martin is front and center in a newly released music video for “New Cluck Old Hen, ” a modern reimagining of the traditional Appalachian tune “Cluck Old Hen, ” created with banjoist Alison Brown and performed alongside Della Mae, a Grammy-nominated, all-woman string band.

What exactly is “New Cluck Old Hen, ” and who made it?

“New Cluck Old Hen” is presented as a fresh take on an older Appalachian fiddle tune, “Cluck Old Hen, ” reshaped into a modern track by Alison Brown and Steve Martin with Della Mae. The song is tied to Brown and Steve Martin’s 2025 album Safe, Sensible and Sane, placing the collaboration within a larger recorded project rather than a one-off single.

Della Mae is identified as a Grammy-nominated, all-woman string band consisting of Cecilia Woodsmith, Kimber Ludiker, Avril Smith, and Vickie Vaughn. Their role is not ancillary: the arrangement and performance described for the video centers on the ensemble’s instrumental force—banjo, guitar, fiddle, and upright bass—while emphasizing Woodsmith’s vocal presence once she is revealed mid-performance.

How the video frames tradition: a staged “live performance” released during International Women’s Month

The music video is packaged as a makeshift live performance designed to foreground musicianship. It was released to coincide with International Women’s Month, a timing choice that aligns with the presence of Della Mae as an all-woman band and with the visual focus on performance rather than narrative storyline.

The concept is credited to video director David Shayne and producers Andrew Gregory and Scott Roberts. The setting is described as a smoky room with on-stage applause and “old school charm, ” aiming for a direct homage to American roots music. The camera’s attention to a stage environment—rather than a cinematic plot—signals that the production wants viewers to read the project as a celebration of roots performance and ensemble energy.

Steve Martin calls it “entirely fictional”—so what is the story actually doing?

In the video’s opening, Steve Martin introduces the song as “a new version of an old song” and adds that it is “entirely fictional. ” That framing is echoed by his explanation of why the song was conceived: he had been “captivated” by “Cluck Old Hen, ” but viewed its lyrics as part of a “tradition of nonsense songs, ” pointing to a chicken that lays “three eggs, sometimes six, and sometimes 10. ” He says he wanted to add “intrigue in the story, ” leading to what he describes as “a raw tale of married life. ”

The performance structure reinforces this pivot from folk abstraction to character-driven tension. Martin’s vocals lead the first portion of the track, then a red curtain pulls back to reveal Cecilia Woodsmith at the microphone, singing lines that suggest rupture and negotiation: “You called me up. Can I come back? / You got your bags already packed… ” The two singers then join in harmony for the remainder, with the overall effect described as expressing “cultural and emotional duality. ”

Verified fact: Steve Martin characterizes the new version as “entirely fictional” while also describing it as “a raw tale of married life. ”

Informed analysis (clearly labeled): The tension between “entirely fictional” and “raw tale” is part of what makes the project feel like more than a straightforward roots revival. The video’s performance-first approach may invite the audience to interpret the emotions as universal rather than autobiographical, even as the lyrics gesture toward lived conflict and reconciliation.

Alison Brown praises the collaboration in specific musical terms, naming Kimber Ludiker’s “fiery fiddle playing” and Cecilia Woodsmith’s “powerful vocals, ” and emphasizing a “combination of bluegrass drive and attitude. ” Della Mae, in a group statement, calls Alison Brown and Steve Martin’s creativity “seemingly boundless” and describes the collaboration as “an honor of a lifetime, ” adding that the project “celebrates the banjo. ”

Whatever the creative backstory, the release positions steve martin inside a roots-music framework that is explicit about lineage: a traditional tune is not simply replayed, but re-authored into “New Cluck Old Hen, ” then presented as a staged performance designed to spotlight the ensemble’s interplay and the vocal handoff that drives the song’s second act.