Midlake return! This first song is taken from upcoming album ‘For The Sake Of Bethel Woods‘, due via ATO Records in the US and Bella Union in the UK on Friday, March 18. ‘Noble’ is a song named for drummer McKenzie Smith’s infant son “Noble” who was born with a rare brain disorder. A child who is much loved but who is also a challenge to finance in a country where you can be denied “Medicaid, Social Security disability, and The Hope Fund” support – there’s more information here.
As frontman Eric Pulido explains: “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.”
