It’s been about a year and a half since Milwaukee country-rockers Field Report released Marigolden, their sophomore LP, but their new song has nothing to do with album cycles. Frontman Chris Porterfield, who used to be in DeYarmond Edison with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, wrote “My Friend Tia” about a neighbor of his, an eight-year-old named Tia who suffers from sickle cell anemia. It’s a warm, lovely song about how Tia is “the bravest girl in the whole wide world,” and it’s really nice to think that a song like this exists. Field Report released the song on Bandcamp, and they’re giving all proceeds to Tia’s family. Below, listen to the song, read some words about it from Porterfield, and watch a video of Porterfield singing it with Tia below.

Porterfield writes:

My 8 year old neighbor friend Tia was born with sickle cell anemia, an awful blood disease. She has undergone treatments and transfusions and transplants. Her bravery and warmth and kindness are an inspiration to everyone who meets her.

It dawned on me that we could at least help this amazing little girl feel special, and that we were weirdly positioned to be able to tell people who like our work about her story. So we wrote this song.

Tia’s whole family came to our show at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee in October. We played this song, and she came on stage and the whole theater cheered for her.

After the show, Daniel Holter offered to record us. And Justin Perkins offered to master the track. And Dwellephant offered to illustrate it. And now maybe more people will hear her story and be inclined to offer their love and support too.

All proceeds from this track go directly to her family.

And just like that– ! she could be your friend Tia.

Thanks,
chris

Download the track at Bandcamp. Sorry, I’ve got something in my eye.