ICE – New Single by Michelle Thompson

We just survived a terrible ice storm here in Nashville. We’d never seen anything like it. The trees were so heavy with ice and the temp dropped so quickly and severely that the sap in the trees expanded. We woke to the sound of branches exploding and crashing down all around us. We miraculously did not lose power, but we did have a tree pull a power line down across the front of my husband’s car where it stayed, live, for days. Our kids immediately started texting us from their homes about the falling trees that sounded like rifles. Two of our sons, along with their wives and our granddaughter were without power for days. Many were without power for weeks.

People began to die of hypothermia and carbon monoxide poisoning from trying to stay warm. A friend’s house burned down. It was nearly impossible to sleep in my warm house knowing others, including my kids and granddaughter, were trying to keep warm. We offered our empty airbnb to a couple of young girls who were able to get to us.

As we were experiencing all of that, some very dear friends of ours in Minneapolis told us they’d been gassed on the street. They saw people being shot, pushed, and pulled out of homes. Children were scared to death. A memorial was set on fire.

After days of feeling helpless and without words, I was finally able to speak with both our sons on the phone and hear that they had found safe shelter. It was then that I sat down and the lyrics of this song poured out of me, a prayer of lament. I sent it to my husband and kids and thought that was it; just a personal, cathartic poem. I awoke from my sleep that night with a melody for the chorus. “Father help us stay alive, keep us safely through the night, everything will be alright… Won’t it?” I picked up my guitar the next morning and the song “Ice” came together. I sent it to my friend in Minneapolis. She told me it was the first time she’d finally been able to let her tears fall. I decided to record a rough video of me playing it and posted it. From there I started getting requests to record it.

“Ice” will be available in my Bandcamp store this Friday, March 6th. For those of you who are new here (thanks for joining!) , I release all my music on Bandcamp before it goes anywhere else and I often include exclusive extras only found there.  This is “Bandcamp Friday”, where they waive their small fee and all proceeds go to the artists. Most of you know, I use Bandcamp sales to help me recoup recording costs and make the next song. As always, I’ve set it to “pay what you want” which allows fans to pay the suggested minimum or give more for support. Below is the artwork you’ll be looking for on Friday at the link below. “Ice” will appear in the store Friday at 12:01 AM.

~Michelle