Following up on the release of his critically acclaimed sophomore album “Death Valley,” Los Angeles singer/songwriter/guitarist David Haerle is back with the single “True Liberty.” Following its premiere today on Highway 81 Revisited (you can watch the video below), the song will be available on all digital platforms on Friday, Oct. 23.
The song is inspired by the words of American poet Edwin Markham (1852-1940): “There is no true liberty for the individual, except as he finds it in the liberty of all. There is no true security for the individual, except as he finds it in the security of all.”
“I believe these words to be profoundly true,” says Haerle. “True in his time, in our time, for all time. His words form the chorus of ‘True Liberty.’ I created a song that I hope supports the meaning of Mr. Markham’s deeply insightful statement. Racial injustice and systemic racism fly in the face of liberty. Great disparities in wealth stemming from structural problems in our economy fly in the face of liberty. Fear of going bankrupt because of medical bills or disappearing jobs flies in the face of liberty. All of this compounds into greater overall insecurity for many.”
The song is the first new music from Haerle since the May 2020 release of “Death Valley,” which was praised by the likes of American Songwriter, Billboard, Goldmine, Glide Magazine, Elmore Magazine and Americana Highways. “Death Valley” was preceded by his debut album, “Garden of Edendale,” which he put out in the summer of 2018.
Haerle’s father, Martin, emigrated from Germany to work in the country music industry, cofounding the indie label CMH Records (Country Music Heritage Records), and his grandparents co-owned WENO, the first full-time country music radio station in Nashville. When David was only 9, Roy Acuff brought him on stage before a full house at the Grand Ole’ Opry. After taking up the guitar at 13, he played in rock and alternative bands in the 1980s. He went on to become a music agent at ICM, but when his father passed away suddenly, David, just 24 years old, took over the family business; he’s served as president of CMH Records (now CMH Label Group) ever since.
Leave a Reply