New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Alternative folk band Judah & the Lion (Judah Akers and Brian Macdonald) released "Leave It Better Than You Found It (feat. Ruston Kelly)," a powerful ode to living a life worth living.
The song delves into themes of humility, embracing mistakes as opportunities for growth, and acknowledging that life is a bit like going to school. It candidly admits fear of the unknown while expressing a commitment to moving forward in compassion for oneself and others. Truthfully the best kind of song for the holidays!
Of the track, Judah says, "Life sucks - haha. While that may be true, what is also true is that life is beautiful. It's funny how the older I get the more I realize the following statement speaks volumes when it comes to life. 'Accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.' This song, Leave It Better Than You Found It, embodies this belief. We were so happy to work with Ruston
Kelly on this track - he writes simply and understands the dichotomy of life - the pain and the beauty. We can control how we leave things, and we all agree we want to leave it well."
Ruston
Kelly adds, "There isn't much oomph or charisma to someone singing about doing good in the world unless they've personally experienced their own self-displacement, despair, or perceived lack of value. I think great change occurs at the hands of greatly wounded people. A road full of failures can truly temper hope into something tangible and healing not just for yourself, but for the people around you. I see this song as an acknowledgment that, because life is so brief, and this world can be so hideous, it matters even more that you act with a good heart and leave more love behind before you go."
Judah & the Lion just finished the first leg of a North American tour. The second will start in April 2024.
Since their 2012 debut EP, Judah & the Lion have garnered widespread acclaim for their genre-bending music, received platinum/gold certifications and have accumulated over 910 million career streams. Six of their hit singles have gone Top 15 on Alternative radio and the band won an iHeart
Music Award for Best New Alt Rock Band of 2018. Never a stranger to vulnerability, the band's previous albums addressed themes of heartache and addiction (2019's Pep Talks), as well as resilience, and reclaiming their innocence after years of chaotic success (2022's Revival).