Margo Price Takes a Psychedelic Journey in New Song ‘Been to the Mountain’

Margo Price gets into her own trippy headspace with the new song “Been to the Mountain,” her latest indication of what direction she’ll be taking musically with the follow-up to 2020’s That’s How Rumors Get Started.

Built around an insistent drum groove, “Been to the Mountain” combines a greasy low-end guitar-bass riff with urgent, repeated single note hits. Price takes a look at where she’s been and where she’d like to be. “I wish I was god but I’m glad that I’m not/I think too much got my head in a knot,” she muses at one point, but then recognizes where she came from: “I used to be a waitress, now I’m a consumer.”

As it progresses, the song heads deeper into psychedelic territory, leading to a couple surprising, thrilling screams and shouts from Price. The accompanying video mirrors this sense of surrealism and paranoia, picturing Price as various individuals from tarot cards coming alive for a mystical journey.

“’Been to the Mountain’ is part one of an introspective trip into our subconscious,” Price said in a statement. “It is the perfect continuation of my search for freedom in my art and freedom in the modern age. I have a lot of high hopes for this next chapter and truly believe this is the most exciting music I’ve ever made in the studio with my band.”

Though no additional details about a new album have been announced, Price is launching the new podcast Runaway Horses on Sonos Radio and all major podcast platforms today. Her first guest is Emmylou Harris, with subsequent guests including Amythyst Kiah, Swamp Dogg, and Bob Weir. Additionally, Price’s memoir Maybe We’ll Make It arrives Oct. 4.