“One thing that’s for sure / Though we never found a cure / We can ride out heartbreak like the weather,” sings Sam Misner, one half of the unclassifiable Northern California duo Misner & Smith, on the group’s new single, “Anthem.” Along with his longtime musical partner Megan Smith, Misner set about writing the tune that would eventually become the first single from Misner & Smith’s upcoming LP All is Song by dissecting the idea of anthemic music itself.

“I’d been thinking about the concept of anthems, how they are almost always about stirring up a sense of nationalism or rallying behind a country or a team,” Misner recalls. “Then an image popped into my head of someone needing an anthem all their own. Not an anthem that anyone else would ever hear, perhaps, but a tune to rally oneself to face the world.” The resulting song is built around swaggering drums, swirling organ, a bluegrass-inspired guitar line, and Misner’s rich, narrative-driven vocal performance—wonderfully supported in harmony by Smith, of course—which turns a terrifying concept of taking the bad stuff in life head-on into a catchy, uplifting vignette of a life lived brightly in the face of dread. “Anthem” perfectly encapsulates the beauty of Misner & Smith; the way they transform all moments—the mundane and spectacular alike—into breathtakingly beautiful music.

Yesterday, Glide Magazine shared the music video writing that, "All is Song is gearing up to be the best music of [Misner & Smith's] career." Fans can check out the video for “Anthem” right now at this link, stream or purchase “Anthem” here, and pre-order or pre-save All is Song ahead of its April 12th release right here.

More About All is Song: Misner & Smith have been sitting with iterations of their new album All is Song for six years now. The duo began conceiving of the project in 2017, and writing came in fits and starts from that time until the pandemic slowed all activities to a halt. This unforeseen pause carried an unexpected gift amongst the chaos and tragedy of the era; Misner & Smith had time to pause, breathe, and reflect on these songs. They had time to digest them, perform them, and work on them in a way they had never imagined possible. The music went through an incubation period, and with the help of co-producer Bruce Kaphan (American Music Club, David Byrne) and the occasional guest musician, Misner & Smith found their most inspired sound to date. After digesting All is Song, the album title comes to life, and listeners can’t help but hear this philosophy everywhere: walking down the street, overhearing conversations, listening to the refrigerator grumble.

The music—every single choice on the album, really—revolves around a single question: “What is this song about?” Every sound on All is Song is in service of the songs. The harmonies are often subtle but always pitch-perfect, a key to the album that took some time to harness. “Harmony is almost like a sculpting tool. I use it as a tool to draw out the stories and the songs and draw out the characters that we're talking about,” explains Smith. “It's a huge part of what we do.” Misner adds, “Serving the song became the credo, so we never included a certain line, part, or harmony for its own sake. It was always, ‘How can we best serve the song? That was our lighthouse.”

All is Song Tracklist:

Compose (2024)

Deep as the Water

Threadbare

Sadie's Song

Interlude 1

Kerosene

Rising Of The Moon

Interlude 2

Tears and Ink

Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind

Silence Of The Sun

One Day (2024)

Anthem

Interlude 3

Little Light

Catch Misner & Smith On Tour:

May 2 - Freight & Salvage - Berkeley, CA

June 8 - McCloud River Mountain Music - McCloud, CA