David Byrne has shared a new song called “Fat Man’s Comin’.” Proceeds from purchasing the holiday single—released on Bandcamp Friday—will go toward Byrne’s nonprofit online news magazine, Reasons to Be Cheerful. The track was produced and arranged by Jherek Bischoff, and features percussion from longtime Byrne collaborator Mauro Refosco. “Fat Man’s Comin’” is available via a pay-what-you-can model through December 31, with a minimum contribution of $1. Check out the music video for the song below, which features Byrne’s original handdrawn storyboards for the song’s visual.
“Fat Man’s Comin’” was originally written in 2013. “I always wanted to write a holiday song,” Byrne said in press materials. “I wouldn’t call it a Christmas song, as the visitation of Santa (formerly known as St. Nicholas, who mainly did punishing) seems to have evolved to be a more secular consumer moment than a religious or spiritual affair.” He continued:
Additionally, Byrne has announced that his neuroscience-inspired immersive theatre experience, Theater of the Mind, has been extended through January. The piece takes place at York Street Yards in Denver.
Read “David Byrne’s American Utopia Is a Broadway-Sized Plea for Common Ground” on the Pitch.