Today, WHY? released a cover of Silver Jews’ “We Are Real” in honor of World Mental Health Day. SJ frontman David Berman committed suicide back in August, leaving the music industry in mourning. In addition to WHY? songwriter Yoni Wolf, the track also features vocals from his good friend Lillie West (Lala Lala) and Gabby Smith (Gabby’s World). All proceeds from the cover will be going to AFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention) and MusiCares.
Of the cover, Wolf explained, “I always looked up to David Berman. His songs and his poetry book had a huge impact on me in my early career. His death was a staggering blow. We were only distant acquaintances but he somehow felt like a long lost half big brother or estranged uncle. I was a wreck for several days after I heard the news, listening to and reading all his work. Then I decided to learn ‘We Are Real’ as a way to console myself. It was quite an emotional experience but sure enough it helped a lot to just sing his words out loud.”
WHY?’s visual album AOKOHIO is out now via Joyful Noise. You can pre-order “We Are Real” here, and listen to the song below.
