Calexico and Iron & Wine Share Hushed New Single "Midnight Sun"

Latin-infused Americana band Calexico and folk singer-songwriter Sam Beam, better known as Iron & Wine, are gearing up to release their debut collaborative full-length, Years to Burn. The record comes 14 years after they released the EP In the Reins and is due for release on June 14 via Sub Pop/City Slang. Today, they’ve shared the second single “Midnight Sun,” following March’s “Father Mountain.” The new track is a hushed and haunting dusty folk rambler. Calexico’s Joey Burns had this to say about the song:

"Because we only had four or five days to make the album we didn’t overthink the process and just followed the flow. It’s these improvisational moments that are the glue and make for a great listen from start to finish. Sam sent some demos the week before we met to record the album. Based on the feel of those demos I wrote the song "Midnight Sun" the day I got to Nashville. I arrived at our rental house the day before everyone else and was happy to find a piano, old pump organ and guitar to do some writing. I was up late and came up with a tune that would bridge both bands’ worlds."

The song comes with a video made by animator Jonny Sanders that juxtaposes the 100 paintings Beam made for Years to Burn’s album art. Beam has this to say about his relationship with Calexico:

"They were the perfect band at the perfect time for me. I loved all their different sounds. They’re musical anthropologists, not regurgitating but absorbing what they discover ... coming back to the project has to do with acknowledging how much impact the first record had for me in my life."

Calexico and Iron & Wine will perform at the inaugural year of Adam Zacks’ new Thing Festival in Port Townsend on Sunday, August 25. Below, watch the video for “Midnight Sun” as well as both Calexico and Iron & Wine’s KEXP in-studio performances from 2018.