BUTCHER BABIES have released their new single and accompanying official music video, “Leaving California”, via Judge & Jury Records, the powerhouse label and production company founded by multi-platinum producer Howard Benson (MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, SEETHER, SKILLET, OF MICE & MEN) and THREE DAYS GRACE’s Neil Sanderson.
Produced by Benson, the track is the fifth single to be released from BUTCHER BABIES’ upcoming album, “Nightbloom”, which is set to arrive on October 2.
“Leaving California” explores the emotional struggle of walking away from a life that once seemed permanent and stepping into an uncertain future. Both deeply personal and easy to relate to, the song reflects on the courage needed to accept change and move forward.
The track is another important piece of an album that serves as a deeply personal love letter to BUTCHER BABIES vocalist Heidi Shepherd’s past. Looking back over the last 25 years, the record explores the experiences, relationships, heartbreaks, and hard-earned lessons that have shaped her along the way. At its core, the album is about self-reflection and growth, honoring the person she once was while embracing the strength and clarity she has found in who she is today.
Shepherd shares: “The writing of this song began in July of 2020 as I saw my industry, family, and friends all one by one leaving California; a place I truly believed would be my forever home. I built my life there. I traded in my 20-year comfort of sandy beaches, ocean air, and the walk of fame for the big unknown. During that time, I wasn’t only breaking up with California, I was moving on from a life that I am so grateful to have experienced, but needed a change. I was leaving a relationship that gave me so much for so many years, but had run dry. On the drive out of town, I found myself humming this chorus melody into my voice notes, documenting in real time, my shedding of that skin. ‘Leaving California’ is about that bittersweet moment where new beginnings seem daunting, yet, oh so, exciting.”
Producer Howard Benson immediately connected with the song’s message. He said: “I really relate to Heidi’s lyrics on ‘Leaving California’ .It’s very of the moment and timely, but the lyrics are also deeply personal. On the track, the band captures the conflicting emotions of the lyrics with their scorching performance!”
Neil Sanderson of THREE DAYS GRACE also praised the new material, saying: “I knew the sky was the limit when I heard the new BUTCHER BABIES record. I said, ‘This is a decades-long band out there being OG’s in a time when people are worried about A.I. They are what rock is supposed to be — dangerously human.’ And ‘Leaving California’ just jumps outta the speakers for me.”
“Nightbloom” track listing:
01. Lost In Your Touch
02. Sincerity
03. Blame It On The Wind
04. Broken & Beautiful
05. Are You Waiting Up?
06. Black Clouds Over Georgia
07. Fever In My Neck
08. Songbird
09. Leaving California
10. Black Dove
