The String Cheese Incident struggles with the shock of losing longtime band manager and friend Jesse Aratow on “One More Time”, the second single from the band’s new album, Lend Me A Hand, due out September 8th.
Though relatively upbeat in tone, “One More Time” offers poignant reflections on grief and loss. “Thought I’d see your face, one more time, / I thought I’d hear your voice, one more time, / Gone too soon, before your time,” laments keyboardist/vocalist Kyle Hollingsworth, who co-wrote the song with Sam Beam of Iron & Wine.
”‘One More Time’ was written on my ukulele sitting in the woods of Colorado,” Hollingsworth said. “I love writing on instruments that I can’t really play, it opens up lots of new sonic territory for me. Lyrically it speaks of remembrance and memories of our friend and manager, Jesse Aratow, who passed in 2021. I asked everyone that knew Jesse to send me a few images and memories they had of him. Then I got together with Sam Beam from Iron & Wine and we crafted this song together. I feel like in the end it was a song for everyone who has lost someone, not specifically about Jesse. This one’s gonna be hard for me to pull off live without crying.”
“One More Time” arrives as the second single off Lend Me A Hand following the album’s lead single and title track. Produced by Brad Cook (Bon Iver, Hiss Golden Messenger, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Waxahatchee), the album puts the focus on lyrical content rather than the instrumental jams for which the band is known.
“Every album’s a snapshot of the band at that moment, and this record turned out to be one of our most introspective,” said bassist Keith Moseley. “We were coming out of the pandemic and coming up on our [30th] anniversary; we’d lost someone who’s been an important part of our team for so long. All those thoughts and feelings coalesced into something that’s much more focused on the storytelling, and feels more like hanging out in the living room with us while we sing you some songs.”
“Rather than trying to be flashy with the musicianship, our goal was to make sure nothing got in the way of the lyrics,” added rhythm guitarist/vocalist Bill Nershi. “So even though we’re still a jam band at heart, all these songs can really stand on their own.”
Listen to “One More Time” by The String Cheese Incident below or on your preferred streaming platform. Pre-order/pre-save Lend Me A Hand here.
After recently hosting a successful Electric Forest, SCI will return to the stage for some special Incidents in the band’s home state of Colorado, including two nights at Dillon Amphitheater on July 11th–12th, and a Red Rocks Amphitheatre run featuring the group’s 50th performance at the fame venue and the first-ever John Fogerty Incident. Tickets and a full list of tour dates are available here.
The String Cheese Incident – “One More Time”