After tour came to a halt in March 2020, it took a while to settle into a new pace. We found ways to play virtual shows, and through livestreaming we met one of our musical heroes, Kim Richey. Together we co-wrote Wildfire about the newfound isolation we were facing. In some ways, Wildfire is a metaphor for consequence. We didn't see it coming. For over 6 years of constant touring and moving through life at breakneck speed, we had worried about "getting there" instead of being present in the journey, and in the quiet we realized the extent of what we'd lost. What we still had was 5 hard drives with 100+ hours of footage Charlie Steen and Jake Burgess captured while touring with us between 2015 - 2019. Looking back through the candid moments and memories with fresh eyes, we could see all the hugs, tears, laughter and connections that were a blur at the time. This video is a collection of that footage, set to a song that's hopeful about fertile regrowth in the future.

We originally wrote How Many Hands for the No Distance Festival #Getoutthevote​ edition. The dance project collaborated with Headcount and IVoted to encourage people to vote in the coming election. Dancers around the world worked together remotely to create a work of art that represented the power of unity. It was an honor to contribute the music to that project. This song was, in a sense, therapeutic to write. It's been a tough year for all of us. This is one we will read about in the history books. We are living it. We can't let it consume us. There's a lot of work to be done to preserve our future. We are all tired. Some days we wonder if it is even worth the effort. It is. We can leave it better than when we got here if we make a conscious decision to work toward a common goal. The urgency of the song reflects the deep emotional toll of an uncertain future. Our generation will be called to rebuild the resources of a planet that currently sustains 7,800,000,000 people. We're feeling the weight of that unrelenting reality. We tour the US year-round and last year we encountered an unprecedented number of wildfires, tornados, hurricanes, whiteouts, extreme weather from all corners of the US. It was terrifying. We live in Michigan, home of the Great Lakes. Rolling back safeguards and defending big oil companies that are not taking their pipeline privileges seriously is unacceptable. We are all science podcast nerds and by the end of 2019 Global Warming and water-preservation were the most talked about topics in the van. We poured that anxiety into a musical landscape, creating an exasperated call for action through a series of questions ending with “How many hands does it take to get a grip?” We have to work together, it’s every voice, every hand reaching out, every vote is necessary. If we put our heads together we will find the answers. We must elect people to positions of power that take science, protecting our resources, and climate change seriously. Please vote, even if you don't think it matters. You never know if your vote will be the tipping point.

If you see it, you believe it, you do it. This year we want to be the "see it", that encourages the "believe it" that supports the "do it". When we were in high school a female string duo called Moxie Strings came into our classroom and rocked out on their electric cello and violin and Katie and I decided "we can do that?!" That is how we became the Accidentals, which in turn altered every part of our lives. It gave a couple of shy kids the confidence to create and relate. We were inspired to play guitar by St. Vincent and Kaki King, violin by Scarlett Rivera, and write songs by SEVERAL female artists. In November we spent a week in Moab, UT teaching alternative strings, songwriting and improv to the middle/highschool students leading up to the Moab Folk Festival. I remember waking up and wondering when it was going to rain- every day the sky was clear and blue behind the mountains. On our day off we drove around town looking for a spot to pull over and record a cover of one of our favorite Big Thief songs, and eventually found this open patch of land next to a dusty dirt road we thought looked safe to use. We've gotten into trouble recording videos like this (our cover of Andrew Bird's song Capsized almost got us kicked out of Arches National Park for instance), so our hearts sank when we saw a car pull of the road and park next to where we were setting up. To our surprise- two high school boys jumped out and said "aren't you The Accidentals?" They said they seen us at one of the school assemblies and asked if they could watch us film our video. They make a cameo about halfway through, along with our sound engineer, Evan Klee- Peregon. iPhone video credit to Kacee Womack. :) Audio filmed with Shure microphones, Takamine acoustic guitar, and Ruach cajon. #womancrushwednesdays #playyourparagon #changethestory

Forty-five shows including an epic SXSW and West Coast run complete. From the Sony Music Stage to Austin City Limits to great venues like Great American Music Hall, The Teragram Ballroom, Wonder Ballroom, Nectar Lounge, Music Box San Diego, etc. This tour recap is a combination of the 20 shows that Charlie Steen captured in the Tour Stories series - a real behind the scenes look at what it is like to be a young, indie folk rock band on tour. You can watch all of them here. Follow The Accidentals on: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/5JqJWTzD2wSWAp7UmFSP5x Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/theaccidentals Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theaccidentalsmusic/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/moreaccidentals VEVO - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBpAyQcmsHwwEb4QwEz-8jA/videos

Ram ProMaster’s “BandVan” artist The Accidentals, are road-warriors who spend over 200 days a year on tour. They’re currently out in support of their Sony Masterworks debut album. Check them out at a show near you! www.theaccidentalsmusic.com With legendary power, performance and dependability, we’re determined to work hard and play even harder, boldly forging ahead to get the job done. If you have questions about our products or would like to contact Ram Trucks directly, please use the "Contact Us" option from our website: www.ramtrucks.com Subscribe to the Ram Trucks YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/ramtrucks  Follow Ram Trucks on Social: • Facebook: http://facebook.com/ramtrucks  • Twitter: http://twitter.com/ramtrucks  • Instagram: https://instagram.com/ramtrucks/  • Tumblr: http://ramtrucks.tumblr.com/  • RamZone Blog: http://blog.ramtrucks.com/

We are in our early 20's, when I wrote "Heavy Flag" I was thinking about our future, the weight and responsibility of our generation to care for our resources and for each other. While I was writing the song, I had a book open to the famous photo "Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima". The weight of that flag being both physical and psychological struck me as a powerful statement. We have a collective responsibility to carry that weight. The time for that statement is now. Our generation has to show up. #Tuesday #VOTE "Heavy Flag" speaks to the cost of society apathy and invites the listener to find their own voice. Produced by John Congleton Read the Pop Matters premiere here: http://bit.ly/HeavyFlagPremier HEAVY FLAG VERSE 1 I shiver like a paper bag The cold can wave a heavy flag And nothing shines like silver lines When everyone’s a paradigm And all around is double speak, I hide it in a troubled sleep In mountains bare on pavement plain In waves of pesticided grain CHORUS 1 I recognize the truth when it shakes hands with self-deceit Pays for my beliefs and throws away the receipt It’s all in my head, and then it’s nestled at my feet Heavy flag VERSE 2 A farrago of motion sick A turbulence arithmetic We passed a thousand billboard signs And trampled over columbines But how do we choke down the pain? With nicotine to tease the brain Our bladed lives with softened edge, We pop our pills and speak our pledge CHORUS 2 I recognize the truth when it shakes hands with self-deceit Pays for my beliefs and throws away the receipt It’s all in my head, and then it’s nestled at my feet Heavy flag SOLO VERSE 3 Our sympathy’s a symphony But everyone is out of key Cause we locked the doors and turned the blinds And left it to the focused eye We dug a shallow rabbit’s grave Deposited our given names And when our pride was railroad flat Shook away the warmth of a welcome mat CHORUS 3 I recognize the truth when it shakes hands with self-deceit Pays for my beliefs and throws away the receipt It’s all in my head, and then it’s nestled at my feet Heavy flag (repeat) Follow The Accidentals on: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/5JqJWTzD2wSWAp7UmFSP5x Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/theaccidentals Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theaccidentalsmusic/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/moreaccidentals

The Accidentals new album, Odyssey, is available here: https://TheAccidentals.lnk.to/OdysseyVP Visit The Accidentals online at: Official Website: https://www.theaccidentalsmusic.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theaccidentals/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/moreaccidentals Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theaccidentalsmusic/

"Odyssey" by The Accidentals. The Accidentals new album, Odyssey, is available here: https://TheAccidentals.lnk.to/OdysseyVP Visit The Accidentals online at: Official Website: https://www.theaccidentalsmusic.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theaccidentals/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/moreaccidentals Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theaccidentalsmusic/