Ruston Kelly shares “Heaven Made the Darkness,” a new, previously-unreleased track that was written and recorded during the sessions for his critically lauded 2023 album The Weakness. Listen to it HERE or by clicking the image below.
Kelly, who has candidly shared his struggles with addiction and sobriety, sends a powerful message of encouragement, empathy, and communion on “Heaven Made the Darkness.” I know you’re afraid now You’re feeling like a little kid Like you can’t find a way out And you’ll always feel like this So let me come over Remind you of the little things Like your head on my shoulder When we listen to the church bells ring Maybe heaven made the darkness So we could better find paradise Don’t you dare give up when it’s hardest That could be the moment you get it right He notes, “I’ve found that hope can appear in what would seemingly be unlikely places, but if you look closer you can see it’s not unlikely at all. The little things, the simple things, the things I can daily take for granted are what I’ve found to be the largest and most luminescent sources of hope. Just knowing someone loves you contains enough goodness to completely revitalize a worn-down spirit. You just have to be present to remember that. And at the end of it, pain will always be dwarfed by love.” Kelly (vocals and guitar) is accompanied on the track by producer Nate Mercereau (guitar, bass, drums, guitar synthesizer, sampler, mandolin, slide guitar) and Carlos Niño (percussion). The track is the first of what will eventually be released as a collection of b-sides and alternate album tracks, slated for release in 2024. Praise for Ruston Kelly and The Weakness: “Kelly’s strongest project yet.” Nashville Scene “The album’s dozen songs, propelled by his Americana and pop-punk tastes, thread the tension between downbeat and shimmery” The New York Times “The Weakness is Kelly’s most expansive album yet, playing with indie and emo rock sounds.” NPR World Café Words & Music Podcast “an album filled with catharsis. After a period of loss and growth, Kelly emerged with an album of unreserved, hope-laced self-reflection. His candid songwriting reflects a sense of rediscovery and resilience laced with sharp humor.” Consequence “Kelly’s talent for juxtaposing the life-or-death tale of his addiction and sobriety with mundane experiences of the everyday has led him to two – and now three – excellent records.” Holler “In baring his own experiences, fighting through weakness and pain to draw on his own strength, Ruston Kelly created an album that turns his own experiences and the layers of his own existence into a universal message laced with hope.” No Depression Kelly is currently on tour with Noah Kahan. A full list of dates is below. Ruston Kelly Tour Dates 9/12 Kemba Live! Columbus, OH 9/13 Saint Louis Music Park, Maryland Heights, MO 9/15 TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park, Indianapolis, IN 9/16 Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill, Sterling Heights, MI 9/17 Budweiser Stage, Toronto, ON 9/29 Credit One Stadium, Charleston, SC |