Listen to Amos Lee’s new single “No More Darkness, No More Light,” watch his interview with XPN’s Helen Leicht

Amos Lee | photo Brantley Gutierrez | courtesy of the artist

Last month Philadelphia singer-songwriter Amos Lee announced his seventh studio album, My New Moon, which comes out on August 31st via Dualtone Records. While initial word indicated that the songwriting was going to be lyrically very personal, his first single from the project — premiered today on Billboard — finds Lee turing his gaze to more universal issues and emotions, spurred on by current events.

“No More Darkness, No More Light” bounces and bops to an highlife-inspired arrangement as Lee sings about making one’s way through troubling times in search of a better world. The song was written, and Lee was in the process of recording it, when 17 people were killed in the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Lee re-wrote the lyrics overnight

As Lee told Billboard:

The day after Parkland happened, I was just like — as I think we all were and continue to be — overcome with what the kids were saying and what our history in the United States is and what I feel like some of our obligations to each other are, and I rewrote the whole song.

Listen to “No More Darkness, No More Light” below.

Today, WXPN’s Helen Leicht gave “No More Darkness, No More Light” its radio premiere on the midday show, and Lee stopped by the studio for the occasion. In a fifteen minute interview, they chatted about Bonnie Raitt and John Prine; the supportive Philadelphia music community; Lee’s admiration for the Musicians on Call program; and the moment during the making of the new record when he realized that “No More Darkness” had a different story to tell than he originally thought. Watch the interview below.

My New Moon can be pre-ordered here; for album art, track listing and tour dates, go here. There is no Philadelphia date announced at the moment, but Lee assures us one is coming.