Mavis Staples and Jeff Tweedy have dusted off a three-year-old track that is eerily appropriate for this coronavirus-crisis moment. The song, “All in It Together,” is an outtake from the session the Wilco frontman did with Mavis for her 2017 ANTI- Records release, If All I Was Was Black. You can listen to the song below. Proceeds from sales of the track will be donated to My Block, My Hood, My City, an organization ensuring seniors have Covid-19 essentials.

If All I Was Was Black was Jeff and Mavis’ third collaboration following the Grammy Award-winning You Are Not Alone in 2010 and One True Vine in 2013. A politically charged record, If All I Was Was Black was written and produced by Jeff and recorded at The Loft in Chicago in May 2017.

During The Tweedy Show, Jeff hinted this Mavis collaboration might be dropping. “All in It Together” is a call for everyone to put their differences aside and work towards a common goal. The lyrics go, I need you/you need me, which is spot on with our current situation. To fight the coronavirus, we must do what we can to stop the spread, like staying home. And we’re counting on our neighbors to do the same.

Jeff plays guitar and sings along with Mavis on the track while Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche contributes percussion. Other musicians featured include Stephen Hodges on drums and Scott Ligon on piano.

“All In It Together” is available to stream on all major platforms and for download at Bandcamp.

Mavis has a tour coming up in June to support her latest Ben Harper-produced record We Get By. Her schedule includes an appearance at BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival on July 28th with Norah Jones. You can find out more about that show here.

Photos: Courtesy of the artists. Jeff Tweedy’s photo by Whitten Sabbatini