Kevin Bronson on September 11th, 2017

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The intoxicating new single from Kera & the Lesbians represents a milepost on singer-songwriter Kera Armendariz’s personal quest: to survive today’s ideology wars with some modicum of humanity. “Bright Future Ahead,” she says, cries out for “a deeper form of empathy and understanding of one another. … I have a hard time expressing that in my everyday life, but it somehow finds its way through the cracks in my music. I’m trying to learn to love others even if their opinions may defer from mine, and understand that not everyone expresses the same morals and values I hold.

“I feel helpless at times, confused on where to begin, and unsure of where my voice sits in all this mess. However, there’s a season for everything … [and] my only hope is to continue changing like the seasons and only learn more empathy and understanding. This song is hopeless and hopeful of a bright future ahead. Both beautiful and terrible at the same time.”

In keeping with that theme, Armendariz is releasing this recording of the song — “The Dreamer Version,” made with Brian Marquez, Mackenzie Howe (The Wild Reeds), Malachi DeLorenzo (Langhorne Slim) and Christian Lee Hutson — as a limited-time single on Bandcamp. Revenue from the song will benefit United We Dream, an organization dedicated to defending DACA. “I believe that no matter the skin color or immigration status that we all deserve fair treatment and a chance at being happy,” Armendariz says. “United We Dream empowers youth, and fights for the rights of immigrants and the queer community starting first at a local level. Change can only begin with us. I consider myself very lucky to have been born a citizen in the United States, and will do anything in my power to ensure that youth immigrants can achieve the same.”

||| Download: “Bright Future Ahead” via Bandcamp. It will be available through Sunday.

||| Stream: “Bright Future Ahead”