Big Red Machine Post New Song Mimi Featuring Ilsey
Thursday, 05 August 2021
Written by Jon Stickler
Photo: Graham Tolbert
Big Red Machine have dropped a new song.
Following their Phoenix collaboration with Fleet Foxes and Anaïs Mitchell, Mimi featuring IIsey serves as the fifth single off the upcoming guest-heavy second album from the project of Bon Iver's Justin Vernon and Aaron Dessner of The National.
Co-penned by the pair, the track offers up layered vocals of the three singing together over a soft melody composed of acoustic guitar, piano and synths. Dessner said:
"I named this song Mimi for my youngest daughter...I was thinking about how grateful I am for my children and how they light up even the darkest days. Justin, Ilsey and I wrote words and melodies to this in isolation and we decided to interweave them, like characters in a book, full of longing and gratitude. Later James Krivchenia came to visit and brought the song further to life with his drums. Musically I feel like maybe we were seeking the open air and road of a Tom Petty song, just accidentally in an odd meter. So grateful to Ilsey for joining this collaboration - it felt so natural and joyful."
Ilsey added: "This song is almost a mirror to the process of how we made it. Aaron, Justin and I wrote and recorded all of the parts separately. The lyrics of the chorus reflect a longing for closeness and connection, but that longing is made to feel safe and less pained next to Justin and Aaron’s lyrics which have this strong theme of gratitude. All of this to say, what could have been a lonely chorus was made hopeful, and what could have been a lonely process was made joyful in getting to work with these two wonderful people."
The follow-up to 2018's self-titled debut is called 'How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last?' and will arrive on August 27 through Jagjaguwar/37d03d.
Bon Iver will hit the road for a rescheduled UK and European tour this autumn, with dates on the continent also confirmed for later in August. The National also have rearranged Irish shows in the diary for summer 2022.
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