Duff McKagan has been keeping busy touring with Guns N' Roses and popping up as a guest on albums by Ozzy Osbourne, Nancy Wilson and Iggy Pop, but he hadn't offered up any new music under his own name since 2019's Tenderness LP.
That is, until today (May 9th) and the release of McKagan's latest solo single, the heartfelt "This Is the Song," the title cut of a three-track EP available now on digital music platforms in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month. It's a somber, mostly acoustic folk-punk ode, accompanied by a simple, striking music video capturing the GN'R bassist performing the tune on a soundstage silhouetted against a screen projecting handwritten lyrics. Watch and listen above.
"'This Is The Song' was written in the middle of a panic attack," McKagan commented. "I couldn't breathe and couldn't see straight, and lately, I have thankfully found my acoustic guitar as a refuge. If I just hold on to that guitar, play chords, and hum melodies, I can start to climb my way out of that hole. For those of you who have never experienced something like this, count yourselves blessed. To those of you who recognize what I am talking about: YOU ARE NOT ALONE!"
Tying into the song's inspirational message, the description for the YouTube video includes a call to "take action for mental health causes" and a link to propeller.la/bloom.
