We just submitted “Embers” for the NPR Tiny Desk Contest 2020. As you’ll see, it’s not a typical video, nor is it about a typical topic.
We wrote this song about the California wildfires in the fall of 2019 and the resulting smoke and power outages that blanketed much of the state. "Embers" is our attempt to grapple with the strange realities - N95 masks, shuttered windows, evacuation zones - that those fires made commonplace almost overnight.
Little did we know that life during the coronavirus pandemic would have such bizarre similarities to wildfire season. When we wrote the first verse, we weren't sure whether many Americans outside of fire zones or the medical profession would know what an N95 was. We wish that uncertainty had remained.
We would like to dedicate this song to all medical personnel and first responders - thank you for putting yourselves in the path of disaster in order to save lives.
If you’d like to help with ongoing wildfire recovery by donating to the 2019 California Wildfires Recovery Fund, you can do so here. You can also provide fresh meals to communities in need by donating to World Central Kitchen’s ongoing disaster relief efforts to bring fresh, warm meals to those in need here.
All our love,
Late for the Train