[Stereogum] Watch Jim James, Will Oldham, & Other Kentucky Musicians Sing New Charity Single “Lift Up Louisville”

We’ve seen a whole lot of all-star singalongs in recent weeks — like the celeb-heavy Canadian one that aired as part of a COVID-19 relief special last one — but the new song “Lift Up Louisville” is a little different. The new single has been created specifically by the musicians of the music-rich Kentucky city Louisville. The song features people like Will Oldham, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James and Patrick Hallahan, Wax Fang’s Scott Carney, mandolinist Sam Bush, folk musician Daniel Martin Moore, and rapper Jecorey Arthur — all of whom call Louisville home.

“Lift Up Louisville” comes from an idea that Louisville mayor Greg Fischer had. Fischer wanted to do something nice for the city, raising money and showcasing many of the city’s musicians. Fischer contacted the Louisville Orchestra conductor Teddy Abrams, who recently put out an album with Jim James. Abrams helped put the track together and write the song. The song pulls in a lot of different musical genres, but it largely fits within the country-folk tradition for which Louisville is probably best-known. In the video, the various musicians perform in their houses or out in Louisville’s mostly-abandoned streets. Check it out here.