The A’s Share Original New Single “When I Die,” Detailing Their Wishes & Instructions to Celebrate Life’s Last Goodbye

13 July, 2022Print

The A's Share Original New Single "When I Die," Detailing Their Wishes & Instructions to Celebrate Life's Last Goodbye

Final Preview of Fruit, Debut Album From New Duo of Mountain Man Members Amelia Meath (Sylvan Esso) & Alexandra Sauser-Monnig (Daughter of Swords) Out July 15th

First Performance Set for Newport Folk Fest on July 22nd, Featuring Expanded Band of Sylvan Esso's Nick Sanborn, Flock of Dimes' Jenn Wasner, Drummer Joe Westerlund

Today, The A's share their series of final life wishes in the form of "When I Die," the latest single and sole original song from the brand new duo's forthcoming, fantastical debut album. Out this Friday, July 15th via Psychic Hotline, Fruit is a record that finds close friends and longtime Mountain Man members Amelia Meath (Sylvan Esso) and Alexandra Sauser-Monnig (Daughter of Swords) furthering their "love of twisting traditional folk music with new original sounds" (NPR's All Songs Considered). Written by Meath, "When I Die" breaks from the ten-track collection's focus on reimagined standards, lullabies and cosmic cowboy tunes of generations past, delivering a dreamy dirge that outlines specific instructions for the celebration of her ultimate goodbye.

Listen to "When I Die" Here

A love letter to life well-lived, "When I Die" paints a vivid image of festive song, dance, flowers and funeral pyres. In addition to Meath and Sauser-Monnig, the swirling rise and fall of harmonies features vocals from Jenn Wasner (Wye Oak, Flock of Dimes), which builds over a bed of the makeshift, melodic percussion. Across Fruit, The A's combine arrangements of gravel, hair, ice chunk, nylon shorts, shoes, shoelace, a single string, water bottles and other strange sounds with their voices and guitars, plus electronics, bass, piano, programming and more from the album's co-producer Nick Sanborn (Sylvan Esso, Made of Oak). Recorded by night at Chapel Hill studio Betty's in the summer of 2021, Fruit also enlists backing vocals from Alli Rogers, string arrangements from Gabriel Kahane on "He Needs Me," saxophone from Sam Gendel on "Copper Kettle" and guitar from Alan Good Parker on "Swing and Turn Jubilee."

Following a prelude of singles including The A's spectral take on Harry Nilsson and Shelley Duvall's Popeye classic "He Needs Me," age-old Appalachian standard "Wedding Dress," an a capella rendition of The DeZurik Sisters' "Why I'm Grieving," excitement for Fruit has continued to ripen, as the music "feels simultaneously from this moment and from another world" (Consequence of Sound). From back porches to backcountry roads and backstages at beloved venues around the world, Meath and Sauser-Monnig have been yodeling and collaborating together for more than 15 years, and on July 22nd, they will give their first official performance as The A's at Newport Folk Festival. Joining the duo's expanded live band are Jenn Wasner, drummer Joe Westerlund, and Nick Sanborn. Stay tuned for more tour dates from The A's soon.

Pre-Order Fruit Here

"When I Die" Lyrics

Oh when I die, it'll be a while

But when I die, I'll need to remind you

That I'm sorry I

Left you behind

And I'm kissing you through this one

Oh when I die, build a funeral pyre

Cause when I die, I'll need to remind you

Better build it high

Make it burn so bright

Let it light your way back home