ERIC CHURCH STEPS UP WITH "DARKEST HOUR"

Eric Church has dropped a surprise single called "Darkest Hour (Helene Edit)" he said is dedicated to “the unsung heroes, the people who show up when the world’s falling apart," a reference to the carnage Hurricane Helene has inflicted on his home state of North Carolina. The BigEC/EMI Nashville artist signed over all of his publishing royalties from the song “to the people of North Carolina."

Hurricane Helene devastated much of the Southeast last weekend and left more than 200 people dead.

"From Western North Carolina, East Tennessee, Upstate South Carolina, parts of Georgia and even Florida, which took a direct hit, there are so many places that were impacted," Church said in a statement. "Specifically in the area that I'm from, the mountains of western North Carolina were devastated. There are places that are just biblically gone. These are our family members, they're our friends, they're our neighbors — and they're in dire need of help."

He added "it didn't feel right to wait" to release "Darkest Hour" next year along with more new music, explaining, "Sometimes you give songs their moment, and sometimes they find their own moment."

Church's organization, Chief Cares, also pledged assistance "in all states and communities affected, from Appalachia to the Gulf." His good deed follows Dolly Parton's promise to donate $1m to Mountain Ways Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing immediate assistance to Hurricane Helene flood victims. Our hearts go out to everyone affected by this disaster. Please check in if possible and let us know if and how we can help.

In the meantime, read more about Chief Cares here and listen to "Darkest Hour" below.