Midlake has released a new song, “Noble.” This latest track from their soon-to-be-released album, For The Sake Of Bethel Woods, is one of the most personal and moving songs from the LP.
The song is named after drummer McKenzie Smith’s infant son “Noble” who was born with a rare brain disorder. For anyone who wants to donate or support Noble, please visit noble.midlakeband.com.
“Noble was born with a rare brain disease,” says frontman Eric Pulido. “When he was born, they were told the life expectancy of most children with his disease was between six months to two years. The heavy nature of Noble’s condition and the new reality for my friend and bandmate McKenzie (and his wife and daughter) wasn’t something we took lightly. We were really excited to create this song for him and for Noble to not only acknowledge the struggle but also celebrate this amazing and beautiful boy. The wonderful news is that more than two years later, Noble is still here with us! He has beaten so many odds already and continues to amaze and prove to us how incredibly strong he is. His life is extremely challenging on many levels, so every day we have with him is a precious gift.”
Last month, the group released a live performance of another album single, “Bethel Woods.” The captivating performance – filmed at Dallas, TX’s Modern Electric Sound Recorders by director Rett Rogers (Nicole Atkins, Nathaniel Rateliff) and co-director Barbara FG – marks the second in a new multi-part series of exclusive live sessions, “Meanwhile In Texas.”
A powerful, warming expression of resolve and renewal, For The Sake Of Bethel Woods, opens new futures for Midlake while still honoring their now storied history.
“‘Bethel Woods’ lyrically was born out of a documentary film still of our keyboardist Jesse Chandler’s dad, Dave, at 16-years-old, sitting in the massive crowd of Woodstock in 1969,” says Midlake’s Eric Pulido. “I felt that moment in time embodied the perfect depiction of a paradisal place. Dave tragically died a few years ago and I was moved to write this song from his point of view with a message of peace in returning to that special place and reuniting with loved ones ‘down the road.’”