New Music From Fruit Bats

GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter Eric D. Johnson (aka Fruit Bats) beautifully honors the recent loss of a beloved dog with the heartfelt new song “Creature From The Wild.” The track serves as an homage that acknowledges the sorrow, but more so celebrates the immeasurable impact his life had on his owners’ lives with sincerity and gratitude. These feelings are all too relatable to anyone who has lost a cherished pet.  “We raise dogs like they’re our kids, but goddamn it, they only live to be around 15 if we’re lucky,” says Johnson. “The line ‘and you saved us for a while’ came tumbling out. But they really do save us, but for such a precious short time. I’ve always wanted to write a dog song. I lost my dog this spring. I loved him a lot. He was a Mexican street dog and a wild animal and a true gentleman. A real swashbuckling spirit. This is a hero song about him and his legend.” The song appears on the forthcoming Fruit Bats album Baby Man, which comes out September 12 via Merge Records. From July 15 through September 11, all proceeds from Bandcamp sales of the track “Creature From the Wild” and a portion of digital album pre-orders will benefit Baja Street Dogs.

Baby Man is unlike any album in Fruit Bats’ celebrated body of work. Comprised of 10 captivating songs, the new collection finds Johnson performing solo, self-accompanied by guitar, piano or an occasional touch of synth. His use of space throughout the album is often as enchanting as the music and his remarkable voice, which is as expressive as ever. Johnson lays himself bare throughout with some of the rawest material he has written. Johnson reunited with Thom Monahan, who engineered, produced and mixed Baby Man. Monahan pushed the vocals up front in the mix, which elevates both the command and the vulnerability of each performance. Between the substance and the sonics, a deep listen to Baby Man is a powerful and emotive aural experience. In addition to “Creature From The Wild,” standout single “Stuck in My Head Again” is at radio now.

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Label: Merge Records

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