Folk-rock musician Elvis Perkins unveiled "There Go The Nightmericans" last December. Performed with Sam Cohen and Josh Kaufman, the seven and a half minute song was written in response to the injustices brought upon by the Trump administration. On Bandcamp, Perkins says of the song: "The question of what to do about the walking nightmares currently in the high seats of American power has for a year now borne heavy on my mind, too (surprise). Desperate times calling for all manner of desperate measure, here we have a Hail Mary'd wake up call to their presumably only shallowly-buried better selves, pitched from the recess of a song-spell their ears may never hear. At its center is a guided meditation for those who wish to join in expelling what nightmares may be driving Mr. Trump and his enablers."
The song was released alongside "Clockwork," originally released by Sam Cohen as part of Dave Eggers' "30 Songs, 30 Days" playlist of songs written and recorded by musicians for a Trump-free America during the month leading up to the 2016 presidential election. "The song is something of a eulogy for American dignity," reads Perkins' Bandcamp description. All proceeds of "There Go The Nightmericans" b/w "Clockwork" go toward benefitting Emergent Fund, powered by RPM. Established in November 2016, the Emergent Fund continues to protect and empower American communities most jeopardized by the Trump Administration. RPM is a nonprofit agency supporting artists in activism. For information on the Emergent Fund and the organizations they support, please visit their site here. Both songs are accompanied by videos that can be viewed on the Bandcamp page. The Nightmericans video was co-created by Perkins and its cinematographer, Huger Foote, and edited by Ben Fundis. Below, watch Perkins' KEXP in-studio session from 2015.
