The empathy, insight and awareness that have colored Eric Church’s 2024 are why he chose to perform his latest single ‘Darkest Hour’ at the 2024 Country Music Association Awards.

Six weeks ago, in the wake of Hurricane Helene’s devastation and before he and Luke Combs teamed up for the “Concert for Carolina,” the Western North Carolina native released the orchestral and soulful ballad, relinquishing all royalties for signed his first new issue in three weeks. years for the people of North Carolina.

“In this country, we’re good at getting food, water and diapers to people in need first and foremost. But we’re not so good at completely rebuilding communities,” the former CMA Entertainer of the Year noted to the Tennessean.

“If you’re not a developer and you take on the project of building 100 homes in Western North Carolina, it’s an emotional and time-consuming process. I work 15 hours a day to use the money raised by (the) Concert for Carolina”), he said. “This is the busiest I’ve ever been in my life, because every day that we don’t get a house built, I feel the pressure of the people who are still in tents and shelters and have to back home are.”

In a press statement, Church said “Darkest Hour” was dedicated to “unsung heroes” who “emerge when the world falls apart.”

“I performed ‘Darkest Hour’ at the CMA Awards to maintain the power of what music can do as a banner and anthem for help in the real world,” Church continued.

“In America we tend to move away from things quickly, so we continue to focus on the people of North Carolina, who will need help for a long time. By raising awareness of the problems they will continue to face, they can do that. get help.”

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: CMA Awards: Eric Church performs single ‘Darkest Hour’ at event