Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn are a powerhouse couple, both of whom are banjo virtuosos renowned the world over. Previously, the duo won a Grammy for Best Folk Album for their first joint album titled Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn, which was released back in 2014. Today, Washburn and Fleck announced that they’d be teaming up once again for a new joint album dubbed Echo in the Valley, which is due out on October 20th via Rounder Records.
As the lead single off their upcoming release, the pair has released the single “Don’t Let It Bring You Down,” their artistic response to the anxiety many Americans have experienced given the political climate since the 2016 presidential elections. As Fleck explained to Rolling Stone, “‘Don’t Let It Bring You Down’ is a direct response to the election cycle. Not only did I hate what was happening, but we both have very good friends and family who felt the opposite. When the election happened, some us were so shattered we couldn’t function normally. That’s what inspired this song. We can’t let current events take away our hope or our desire to see the world move in a positive direction. And we can’t deny our friends who disagree with us.”
Washburn riffed off this idea in the article, stating, “This song is a mantra for me, a mantra that helps me process the divisiveness of the recent elections and of the way the media represents current events. . . . I believe we need to cut through the noise of ratings-driven media and not let it suck us into deeper misunderstandings. We need to keep our heads up, listen with compassion, and find the way through.”
You can listen to Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn’s latest single, “Don’t Let It Bring You Down,” below, and snag a copy of Echo In The Valley when it’s released later in October.
[H/T Rolling Stone; Photo: Jim McGuire/Courtesy of Kid Logic Media]