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Mavis Staples and Ben Harper unveiled a stripped-down and stunning new duet, “We Get By,” the title track off the soul legend’s new album, out May 24th via Anti-. The track was paired with a video showing Staples and Harper recording “We Get By” in the studio.
“We Get By” boasts a simple instrumental groove with a languid guitar peeling around a steady bump of drums and bass. The track comes with a black-and-white music video that captures Staples and Harper recording their vocals, trading verses before effortlessly harmonizing on the chorus, “We get by, we get by/No matter what happens, I’ll be there for you/We get by.”
“We Get By” follows the album’s lead single, “Change” and “Anytime.” Harper produced all of We Get By, having previously collaborated with Staples on the song “Love and Trust” off her 2016 album, Livin’ On a High Note. We Get By marks Staples’ 12th studio album and follows her 2017 LP, If All I Was Was Black, which was produced by Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy.
Staples recently performed the first of three special shows commemorating her upcoming 80th birthday, July 10th. The first gig took place in New York City last week, while Staples will perform at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee tonight, May 15th. On May 22nd, Staples will perform at the Theatre at the Ace Hotel in Los Angeles, California.
