Eric Church surprised fans on Friday (Oct. 4) with the unexpected release of a brand-new song, titled “Darkest Hour,” and the track comes with a powerful purpose. The country superstar dedicated the tune, which marks his first new solo material in over three years, to North Carolina residents impacted by Hurricane Helene. Not only did Church dedicate the track to his home state, but he has also pledged to donate all of his publishing royalties from the song to aid recovery efforts and help build a more resilient future for his home state.
To Bring Immediate Relief And Long-Term Support To North Carolina
“Darkest Hour” aims to bring both immediate relief and long-term support to The Tar Heel State and surrounding regions impacted by the devastating storm. According to NBC News, at least 215 people have died as a result of the destruction wrought by Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in Florida a week ago. “More than half of the deaths were in North Carolina, where several feet of fast-moving water destroyed entire communities,” the outlet also reported. Hundreds of people from North Carolina and other regions remain missing, and close to 1,000 active-duty military members are now joining The National Guard to assist in recovery efforts at the request of President Joe Biden.
When the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene hit, Church, a native of Granite Falls, North Carolina, felt a strong personal connection to the disaster’s impact on his beloved hometown.
“From Western North Carolina, East Tennessee, Upstate South Carolina, parts of Georgia and even Florida which took a direct hit, there are so many places that were impacted. Specifically, in the area that I’m from, the mountains of Western North Carolina were devastated. There are places that are just biblically gone. These are our family members, they’re our friends, they’re our neighbors – and they’re in dire need of help,” Church shared via a press release, reflecting on the widespread damages caused by the storm.
Releases “Darkest Hour,” Marking His First New Solo Music In Over Three Years
After hearing the horrible news of what the Hurricane did to the South, Church knew he had to help in some way, which lead to the release of “Darkest Hour.” Though the singer had been working on new music in the studio for some time, he felt the current circumstances demanded an immediate action.
“I’ve been in the studio for a while working on new music and trying some different things and exploring creativity,” Church continued. “I had this song that I’d written, and the line that struck me in light of the recent devastation was ‘I’ll come running,’ because there are a lot of people out there right now who are in their darkest hour, and they need people to come running. We were going to wait to release music until next year, but it just didn’t feel right to wait with this song. Sometimes you give songs their moment, and sometimes they find their own moment.”
The poignant lyrics of “Darkest Hour” offer a message of hope and resilience in times of crisis. The track speaks to those who step up in the toughest moments, offering comfort and assistance when it’s needed most. “All I really know is I never know/ What’s coming around the bend/ But you should know you’re not alone/ Hang on and hold my hand/ In your darkest hour/ Baby I’d come runnin’/ In your darkest hour/ I’d light your way/ Baby don’t give up/ I’ll do everything in my power/ To take even a minute off your darkest hour,” Church sings on the track.
“This Song Goes To My Home, North Carolina, Now And Forever”
The 47-year-old North Carolina native went on to acknowledge that he knows the destruction is not a “quick thing to fix,” but hopes that the song will contribute to relief efforts now and “for a long time to come.”
“This song, ‘Darkest Hour,’ was the best way I could think to try to help. We’ve been helping with boots on the ground efforts, but this is something that will live beyond just the immediate recovery. This is not a quick thing to fix, so hopefully ‘Darkest Hour’ will be able to contribute to that for a long time to come. This song goes to my home, North Carolina, now and forever.”
Eric Church dedicated the track to “the unsung heroes” and “the people who show up when the world’s falling apart.”
He added, “This is for the folks who show up in the hardest times, offering a hand when it’s most needed, and standing tall when others can’t. Even in your darkest hour, they come running. When the night’s at its blackest, this is for those who are holding the light, guiding the lost and pulling us through. The message of the song specifically in this time is about Hurricane Helene and the people that need help, but in a broader view, it’s about any challenging times that we have in our life, which we’ll all have. And it’s always important to know that in your darkest hour, there are people that will come running, there are people that will help. And I think it’s also important to be one of the people that go running when other people need help.”
Assisting With Chief Cares In North Carolina And Other Regions Impacted
Additionally, Eric Church’s Chief Cares will also be assisting not only in North Carolina, but in all states and communities affected from Appalachia to the Gulf.
Eric Church Makes Statement And Encouraged Red Cross Donations
After hearing the sad news of the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene, Church took to social media to share a statement and encourage Red Cross donations to aid the Tar Heel State.
“I’m devastated by the destruction in the mountains of western North Carolina. These are our family members, friends, and neighbors. The community we live in part of the year still has people stranded and desperate for extraction. The whole area is in dire need of help. Any who knows anything about me knows what North Carolina and specifically this area in the mountains means to me personally as well as creatively,” Church wrote on Instagram. “While we’re still gauging the extent of destruction and harm, our hearts remain with the people and our focus is on helping them.”
He also was decided to postpone his highly-anticipated SiriusXM Outsiders Radio show live event that was scheduled to take place at Chief’s on Monday, September 30 to Tuesday, November 19.
For more information, visit EricChurch.com and ChiefCares.com and follow the country hitmaker on Facebook and Twitter/X @ericchurch and Instagram @ericchurchmusic.