Semisonic Premieres Video for New Song ‘You’re Not Alone,’ Band’s First in 19 Years (Watch)

Minneapolis alt/rock band Semisonic, which hit it big in the late ’90s with its single “Closing Time,” from 1998’s Feeling Strangely Fine, recently premiered a new song.

This was noteworthy, since “You’re Not Alone” is the first new music from Semisonic since 2001. The song is part of the You’re Not Alone EP, which will be released on Sept. 18.

A music video was premiered for the track on Tuesday, and was directed by Phil Harder, known for work with acts including Foo Fighters, Prince, Liz Phair and Nada Surf.

“For the new Semisonic video, ‘You’re Not Alone,’ we began with memories of childhood in the woods,” said Semisonic front man Dan Wilson in a statement. “Filmmaker Phil Harder creates a fable of the woods, the city, a distant beach, and a young boy who places a message in a bottle and sends it on a long journey. Inspired partly by Richard Powers’ devastatingly beautiful novel, ‘The Overstory,’ partly by the paintings of Tomas Sanchez (one of which is featured on the sleeve of the single), and partly by the profound isolation we are experiencing during the pandemic, the video reflects the hopeful message of the song.”

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"I wrote 'You're Not Alone' a couple of years ago at a time when a lot of people, including me, were feeling isolated and despairing about the state of the world and the direction our country was going. We recorded the song last year and I'm really happy that it's now coming out. It’s Semisonic’s first new song in 20 years. Coincidentally, the song is coming out when both a global pandemic and racial justice protests are compelling us to reimagine and rebuild our relationships to each other and the communities we live in. All against a backdrop of isolation, despair, and hope. Just as I felt when I first wrote it, I hope this song will communicate a sense of connection, an awareness that we're not alone." – @danwilsonmusic Link in bio to pre-save the EP out this fall!

A post shared by Semisonic (@semisonicband) on Jun 26, 2020 at 11:08am PDT

You’re Not Alone comes after a significant break for the band, though Wilson kept plenty busy himself over the years.

After an underwhelming reception to its 2001 album All About Chemistry, Semisonic went on hiatus, reforming in 2017 with a series of live performances.

During the time away from Semisonic, Wilson  worked with a number of artists as a producer, most notably the Dixie Chicks (two songs on their 2006 album Taking the Long Way) and Adele (co-writing three songs, including the global smash-hit “Someone Like You”). Other artists Wilson worked with included Weezer, Chris Stapleton, My Morning Jacket, John Legend, Rita Wilson and many more.