“Holocene” is an actual word in the English language. It means “relating to or denoting the present epoch.” It’s a useful word with all sorts of applications. Justin Vernon does not own the word “holocene.” Still, it seems incredibly brave for a musician — especially an indie-identified singer-songwriter who makes soft and reassuring music — to come out with a song called “Holocene” that is not a Bon Iver cover. Zella Day is incredibly brave.

Last year, Day, the Los Angeles-based musician, released the Dan Auerbach-produced EP Where Does The Devil Hide, and she also teamed up with Lana Del Rey and Weyes Blood to cover Joni Mitchell. Now Day has again teamed up with Weyes Blood, this time for the new song “Holocene.” Day and Weyes Blood co-wrote the track with Mia Kerr. Weyes Blood co-produces, sings, and plays keyboard. It’s a soft, sparkly, psychedelic track, and you can hear it below.

In a press release, Zella Day says:

These days it seems music is the only superpower I can count on to protect me from the threats that lurk within the complete unknown. If hope were a paper airplane and shot into the sky I grabbed it with my hands as it was floating by and unfolded the paper to absorb the contents inside. “Crazy Train” was scribbled at the top of the page and when I looked to see what the words were that were bleeding through from the other side of the paper “Holocene” was there waiting to be sung. There was laughter in the room when the songs were made, tears being shed on the other sides of the walls, but I’m not going to sit here and pretend that I didn’t cry in the studio too. We’ve all needed a refuge this year, this is a glimpse into mine.

Over the last year I have found myself living in two conflicted mental states: days where I’m impassioned, so many words and thoughts surrounding our current climate extending throughout my being. The other reality is emptiness, a complete loss for words. Exhaustion. Loneliness. Sometimes loneliness becomes a giant casting a long shadow that I can’t outrun. I learned not to be too hard on myself in these moments, ultimately trusting that the motivation to create would eventually come back to me. “Holocene” was the rain that fell. It’s a collection of thoughts, a song for the interpersonal relationship between the world inside and outside of ourselves.

“Holocene” is out now on Concord Records.