Though the end of COVID-19 lockdowns earlier this year brought old friends back together, not everyone was lucky enough to reunite with loved ones. For those who are still struggling to let go of loss, Them Coulee Boys have offered a joyful reflection of life with “Phil’s Song”.

Written by the folk-Americana outfit’s co-founders Soren Staff and Beau Janke as a eulogy for their friend Phil who died of suicide in 2019, the song has taken on new life in the post-lockdown era. For the song’s video, premiering today via Live For Live Music, the band asked its fans to make their own dedications. Though the track is still titled “Phil’s Song”, fans were invited to dedicate it to their own departed loved ones, making into “Jason’s Song”, “Erika’s Song”, “Wesley’s Song”, and many more. As Them Coulee Boys ask, “Do we ever really die if love is what we left behind?”

“For a long time after my friend Phil passed, I struggled to find the right words to say…to myself, or to the ones he left behind,” Staff told Live For Live Music. “Beau came to me with a riff and a verse that talked about our friend in a joyful way, and it finally felt right. This song is a celebration of the joy our friend gave to others. There’s a balance we struck in the music, between the joy of his memory and the sadness of his absence. Rock & roll that falls a part a bit, only to culminate in a triumphant way. What started as a tribute has turned into a celebration for the ones we love, no matter where they have gone.”

As a lasting tribute to Phil, Them Coulee Boys have partnered with Just Live, Inc. to support mental health services. During the release week of “Phil’s Song” (Aug 3rd–10th), the band will donate 100% of the proceeds from Bandcamp sales of the single to Just Live, Inc. whose mission is to provide suicide prevention education to communities, financial support to related supportive organizations, and emotional support to anyone affected by suicide, depression, and mental illness.

Watch the new music video for “Phil’s Song” by Them Coulee Boys below and consider purchasing the track on Bandcamp to benefit Just Live, Inc. Keep tabs on Them Coulee Boys’ website for tour information and check out the band’s album Namesake when it drops on Friday via Some Fun Records.

Them Coulee Boys – “Phil’s Song” (Official Video)

[Video: Them Coulee Boys]