Chris Stapleton's 'Fire Away' Tells a Heartbreaking Tale of Mental Illness [Fresh Vid]

Phenomenally voiced country songster Chris Stapleton has had a hell of a year thanks to his solo debut Traveller, which earned the singer a pair of Grammys and landed him at the top of the Scene's annual Country Music Critics' Poll. 

A big part of what garnered Stapleton all the critical praise and attention was not just his strength as a performer, but also the emotional depth of his songs — songs like the gut-wrenching, slow-burning "Fire Away." Today, Stapleton released a video for the Traveller tune, and you can watch it after the jump. Directed by Tim Mattia and conceived by Stapleton himself (who makes a cameo as a bartender), the video features Ben Foster and Margarita Levieva as a couple experiencing a great deal of hardship and heartbreak as the result of mental illness. No, it isn't the most sunny and cheerful way to start out your Monday, but it's an affecting, heart-rending portrait of love and loss that suits the song beautifully.

"The video aims to bring attention to the culture of mental health awareness throughout the country," says a release, "specifically through The Campaign to Change Direction. The organization, which was introduced to Stapleton through Foster, strives to start a common language about the five signs of suffering emotionally." Read more about those at the afore-linked Campaign for Change Direction site. 

And if you're the crying type, ready your hankies.