Eric Church is stepping up amidst dark times in his home state of North Carolina following hurricane Helene with the release of a brand new song, “Darkest Hour (Redeeming Helene).”
LISTEN NOW: Eric Church on the making of ‘Darkest Hour’
A song he already had recorded and planned to release next year, the singer-songwriter says he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to gift the tune to those impacted by the natural disaster in a time they need it most.
“Sometimes you give songs their moment, and sometimes songs find their own moment,” Church said of not only releasing the song, but also signing over all of his publishing royalties on it to the people of North Carolina. This ensures ongoing funds to support a more resilient future for North Carolina.
“This song, ‘Darkest Hour,’ was the best way, I could think, to try and help,” Church said. “We’ve been helping with boots on the ground stuff, but this is something that will live beyond just the immediate recovery.”
While the message of the song currently feels very specific to the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in parts of North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, Church explains it has the power to encourage long beyond the lengthy rebuild.
“It reminds us that in our lives, everybody’s gonna go through dark times, everybody’s gonna go through something that’s challenging and it feels lonely and desperate and it’s really in those times when it’s important to know that you’re not alone in that,” he shared. “There’s people out there that will come running, assist you in those darkest times — they’ll pull you out of them and shine a light and light the way.”
He concluded, “This is a song dedicated to the unsung heroes. This is for the folks that show up in the hardest times, offering a hand when it’s most needed and standing tall when others can’t.”