HuDost Breaks the Silence With “Broken Down in America” in a Haunting Defiant Call for Change
There’s no metaphor. No abstraction. No retreat.
What does it mean to raise a child in a nation that won’t protect them? To send them off to school each morning with a silent prayer—because hope is all that’s left when policy fails?
HuDost isn’t asking these questions quietly.
Their latest single, “Broken Down in America,” co-written with Dan Haseltine of Jars of Clay and The Chosen, is a soul-piercing cry of grief, rage, and resilience. It’s a song for every parent rehearsing tragedy in their head. For every student taught to hide before they’re taught to dream. For every citizen too exhausted to shout—but too heartbroken to stay silent.
And it’s not a song that asks for permission.
“We cried a lot while making the video,” says Moksha Sommer, one half of the duo with husband and bandmate Jemal Wade Hines. “As parents and artists, we couldn’t look away. So, we turned the grief into music. That’s what we do.”
“Broken Down in America,” the latest single from HuDost’s upcoming album The Monkey in the Crown, to released on June 6, 2025, is a project born of urgency, activism, and an unwavering belief in the power of truth-telling through art. Written in the wake of gun violence, political polarization, and personal heartbreak, the track balances sorrow with strength.
From the aching opening lines—“Hey my son, it’s Monday morning / Use your teacher like a human shield”—to the soul-wrenching refrain, “The only arms I bear are here and open,” HuDost captures a fractured national psyche with surgical precision and poetic defiance.
Musically, the track is rich, raw, and intimate. Produced by HuDost’s own Jemal Wade Hines, it features lead vocals by Moksha Sommer, harmonium, programming, and backing vocals by Jemal Wade Hines, with the rhythm section from Chris Powell on drums and Dan Walters on bass, while Charlie Lowell adds depth on keys. Additional layers of harmony come from a talented group of backing vocalists, including Rachael Davis, Bethany Bordeaux, Liza Holbrook, Matt Odmark, Charlie Lowell, Moksha Sommer, and Jemal Wade Hines.
From shimmering ambient textures to visceral lyrical punches, every sound is designed to feel like a truth too long withheld.
But for HuDost, the personal is always political. As Canadians living in the American South, they walk the line between cultures, countries, and consciousness. Their activism through music isn’t new—it’s a legacy. They’ve advocated on Capitol Hill as part of the ONE Campaign, stood up for global aid programs like GAVI and PEPFAR, and challenged complacency at every turn. Their music is their megaphone.
But accolades aren’t the point.
“Music,” says Jemal, “isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity. Especially now.”
And in 2025, they’re taking it to the streets.
HuDost’s 2025 “Monkey in the Crown” 20th Anniversary Tour Dates:
May 8- Heartwood Soundstage- Gainesville, FL
May 10- Live at Timucua/World Music Week- Orlando, FL
May 15-16 SERFA- Owensboro, KY
May 17-18- Kentucky Yoga Festival- Edmonton, KY
May 23-27- Ozark Sufi Camp- Lake of the Ozark State Park, MO
May 29- Greenwood Social Hall- Kansas City, MO
June 7- Duncan Hines Days- Bowling Green, KY
June 18- The Porcupine Theatre- Homer, AK
June 20-22- Seldovia Arts Council Summer Music Festival, AK
June 25- Levitt AMP Soldotna Music Series– AK
June 27- Denali Arts Council- Live at Five Summer Concert Series- AK
June 28-29 Tonglen Lake/Anchorage AK TBA
July 4-6- Midsummer Music Festival- Smithers, BC
July 11-12- Oregon Country Fair- Eugene, OR
July 15- Oregon Shakespeare Festival- Ashland, OR
July 16- TBA- Corvallis, OR
July 19- TBA- Seattle, WA
July 30- Nathalie’s Grandview- Columbus, OH
August 9- Vermont Solar Fest- Brandon, VT
August 28-29- Wild Goose Festival- Harmony, NC
August 30-31- Floyd Yoga Jam- Floyd, VA
Oct 2- HuDost on WDVX- Knoxville, TN
Oct 4- ‘Ol Front Porch Music Festival- Oriental, NC
Oct 10-12- CaveFest at The Caverns- Pelham, TN
(More to be announced)
“Broken Down in America” is a reckoning. It’s HuDost standing in the fire with their arms open wide. And it’s a reminder that sometimes, the only way to rebuild is to bear witness to what’s broken.
This is not about party lines. This is about the people. This is about love.
And yes—love can stop the war.