Fruit Bats, the musical project of GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter Eric D. Johnson, has just released the deeply personal and stripped-back single, “Let You People Down.” This new track, off his upcoming album Baby Man, offers a rare glimpse into the artist’s vulnerability. Set for a September 12th release on Merge Records. While past albums often featured a full-band sound, this new release is a solo effort by Eric D. Johnson, delivering a sound that is more sparse and intimate, with lyrical content that is also notably more personal and vulnerable.
Johnson describes “Let You People Down” as a contemplation on the self-inflicted heartbreak that comes from constantly trying to meet others’ expectations. He even hints that the song reflects his own anxieties about how listeners will receive this less traditional album.
“This is an ode to the people pleasers of the world. It’s about breaking your own heart. It’s about stumbling while navigating the world and wanting to jump off the planet and take a re-set. And of course maybe it’s sneakily and/or subconsciously about my fear of how people might react to this record and its lack of boppy Fruit Bats songs that they might be waiting for. This might be the album’s mission statement, crushed up into a 2-minute long easy to swallow tablet.”
Featuring Johnson solo on guitar, piano, and synth, Baby Man‘s minimalist approach, with powerful use of space and a forward vocal mix by producer Thom Monahan, highlights Johnson’s expressive voice and raw songwriting; “Let You People Down” perfectly sets this tone.
Following the critically acclaimed A River Running to Your Heart (2023), this new release solidifies Johnson’s reputation for compelling and heartfelt music, whether as Fruit Bats or as a member of Bonny Light Horseman. Fans can also catch this raw new sound on his upcoming fall tour, An Intimate, Solo Evening with Eric D. Johnson (dates below).
Fruit Bats on tour:
Aug 13 Burlington, VT – Higher Ground
Aug 14 Hamden, CT – Space Ballroom
Aug 15 Queens, NY – The Rockaway Hotel
Aug 16 Manchester, VT – Green Mountain Bluegrass & Roots Festival
Oct 16 Ojai, CA – Ojai Valley Woman’s Club (Solo)
Oct 17 Los Angeles, CA – Pico Union Project (Solo)
Oct 18 San Francisco, CA – The Chapel (Solo – two shows)
Oct 20 Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater (Solo)
Oct 22 Stoughton, WI – Stoughton Opera House (Solo)
Oct 23 Minneapolis, MN – Icehouse (Solo)
Oct 25 Chicago, IL – Old Town School of Folk Music (Solo)
Oct 27 Ann Arbor, MI – The Ark (Solo)
Oct 29 Toronto, ON – Longboat Hall (Solo)
Oct 30 Buffalo, NY – The Ninth Ward (Solo)
Nov 01 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg (Solo)
Nov 02 Cambridge, MA – Sinclair (Solo)