Jeff Rosenstock has released “HEALMODE,” a contemplative acoustic track that serves as the latest preview of his fifth studio album, HELLMODE. Stream it below.
On “HEALMODE,” Rosenstock describes his appreciation for the rain while living in California during the raging wildfires that tore through the state in 2020. “When it’s gone the air will clear,” he sings over acoustic guitar, woodwinds, vibraphone, and synths. “And we’ll have so much more to see/ The stores will be filled up with/ People trying to buy their groceries.”
In a statement, Rosenstock said moving to Los Angeles with his wife in January 2020 completely changed how he thought about the rain, which used to get him “down in the dumps” when he was a New Yorker. “Ash fell from the sky and our little air quality apps would be emblazoned with a dark red icon wearing a gas mask. The hardware stores quickly ran out of air filters,” he remembered. “I wanted the rain. I wanted it to piss all the garbage out of the atmosphere and leave me with clear skies and snowy mountain peaks. I wanted to run errands in an empty grocery store. I wanted my day to feel different than the 300 that came before it.”
He continued, “I wanted life on Earth to feel sustainable. I wanted the drought to end.” Rosenstock was inspired to write the song on December 23rd, 2021 after coming off tour with a Christmas tree strapped to the roof of his Prius in a moment when he was sitting on his stoop and “sucking the cold in and out, marveling at my breath floating in the air like a six-year-old.”
HELLMODE serves as the proper follow-up to 2020’s NO DREAM and also features the previous singles “LIKED U BETTER” and “DOUBT.” It’s out on September 1st, and pre-orders are ongoing. Rosenstock will support the album with a North American tour kicking off in September; grab your tickets here.