Gillian Welch has unveiled a charming and timely new song in honor of this coming Sunday’s holiday titled “Happy Mother’s Day.” The critically acclaimed Americana singer-songwriter recently rediscovered the song, which was recorded on a portable reel to reel, alongside a handful of demos and home recordings from the early 2000s.
“We can’t always be with the ones we love, but that can’t stop us from saying ‘I love you,’” Welch says in a statement. “I wrote this song one May when I was far away and couldn’t be with my mom on Mother’s Day. Then I called and sang it into her answering machine when I knew everybody’d be sitting down to eat.”
The sparse and sweet song is perfectly timed for the strange moment of distance the world is experiencing during the global pandemic. Welch coos: “Oh it’s happy Mother’s Day/ From your daughter far away/ Love and wishes/ Hugs and kisses.”
“Happy Mother’s Day” is out now via Acony Records, the independent record label she and partner David Rawlings founded in 2001. Welch’s last record was 2011’s The Harrow & The Harvest. Below, listen to “Happy Mother’s Day” and watch Gillian Welch perform with the Dave Rawlings Machine for their 2015 KEXP in-studio performance.
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