There's no shortage of artists who are concerned about climate change, but for HuDost, it’s personal. Their impassioned new single, “Fire of Eden,” was inspired by an epiphany vocalist/lyricist Moksha Sommer had while on the road, surveying the damage wrought by the California wildfires. She could see that the environmental upheavals she had been witnessing for two touring cycles held implications that were beyond troubling—not just for her, but for the baby she was pregnant with at the time. And of course, for the rest of us.
“I was on tour, performing and traveling, and the air was thick with smoke, making it impossible to perform,” she recalls. “I couldn’t help but reflect on the vulnerability I was feeling—not only as a woman carrying a child but as a person watching the environment around me deteriorate. It was a surreal and sobering moment, realizing how fragile both my personal situation and the world were.”
The song that resulted is a wholly appropriate concoction of fire and brimstone, painting disasters like the wildfires as harbingers of a truly biblical reckoning. When the great conflagration comes, we're told, there'll be nothing to do but “run to the river” and “cry out loud,” begging for forgiveness. The aural neo-Americana that accompanies those sentiments is every bit as ominous as you’d expect, but with a motive urgency that keeps the number well out of the realm of the maudlin. Sommer's haunting vocals mesh perfectly with partner Jemal Wade Hines’ guitars and keys, and the contributions of guest players like Chris Powell (drums and percussion) and SistaStrings & Anit Ghosh (strings) elevate the proceedings to a near-gospel level of righteous fervor.
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There's urgency of a different kind in the accompanying music video, an AI travelogue that puts the musicians smack-dab during fiery explosions that flare up in the most unexpected of places. Arresting images to be sure, but to Sommer and Hines, using modern technology to convey an environmental message is a vital metaphor for the hand-in-glove relationship science and humanism will need to maintain to pull our world back from the precipice of collapse.
“Fire of Eden” is one of 11 kinetically compelling tracks on HuDost's upcoming album, The Monkey in the Crown—their first in four years, and marking their 20th year as a band. Just as their legions of fans have learned to expect, the record is a rich tapestry of electric folk, Americana, and pop rock. Tracks like the new single and the previously released “Acting Out the Outrage” revel in affecting vocals and vibrant instrumentation that convey heartfelt musings on identity, resilience, and the complexities of our world.
The world has been complex, indeed, for Sommer and Hines, who met at a Rumi Festival put on by Turkish Sufis and have gone on to be musical partners, devoted spouses and activists committed to worthy causes like ONE (a nonprofit that works to end extreme poverty). Together, they’ve weathered challenges like Sommer’s 2008 brain surgery and the long road to recovery that followed. Their bonds—to each other and to the world—were further deepened by the birth of their two children (in 2013 and 2022).
These days, the HuDost family includes the music cognoscenti and the listening public alike. Writer Kristi Wooten called the group’s output “as sacred as a church service, [but] without the identifiers which can separate and shame non-believers.” Among those believers, count the voters who honored Sommer and Hines with an Independent Music Award (for Social Action Song) and two “Best of Nashville” awards. And don’t forget the consumers and programmers who have taken HuDost to #4 on the Canadian National Folk/Roots/Blues Chart, #9 on the U.S. Folk Radio Charts and #24 on the Billboard Folk/Americana chart.
The Monkey in the Crown is shaping up to surpass past releases, with a variety of exciting bundle options available for presale now. Fans can secure a limited-edition signed colored-vinyl release, a deluxe 2-CD edition featuring bonus instrumentals and acoustic tracks, and original artwork by Sommer. There's even a rare opportunity for the duo to write a personalized song for or with a lucky fan.
While copies won’t be shipped until the album’s official release at the very end of February, presale is open now—don’t miss your chance to grab these exclusive editions. Visit their Website for more details.
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