Eric Church will perform the single ‘Darkest Hour’ at the event

On By Littum

The empathy, awareness and consciousness that have colored Eric Church’s 2024 is 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 “Concert for Carolina,” the western North Carolina native released the orchestral and soulful ballad, signing over all publishing royalties from his first new sang for three years to the people of North Carolina.

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

“When you’re not a developer and you take on the project of trying to build 100 homes in western North Carolina, it’s an emotional and time-consuming process. I work 15 hours a day to use the funds raised by (the “Concert for Carolina”), he said. “This is the busiest I’ve ever been in my life, because every day we haven’t built a home, I feel the pressure of the people who are still in tents and shelters , there need to be back in the homes.”

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

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

“In America we tend to move on from things quickly, so we continue to focus on the people of North Carolina who will need help for a long time. To raise awareness of the issues they will continue to face , will allow them to receive help.”