Andrew Bird & Gavin Brivik Release Full-Length, Extended Version of The Pitt's 'Need Someone'

First-Ever Original Song Composed For HBO Max's Emmy®-Winning Drama Series Now Expanded and Rerecorded with Strings Arrangement & More

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"It's perfect...the perfect sendoff for a beloved patient" - Esquire

Following its premiere during a pivotal moment of HBO Max's 5x Emmy®-winning, #1 Max Original drama series, The Pitt, Andrew Bird and The Pitt composerGavin Brivik have released a full-length, rerecorded rendition of their collaboration, "Need Someone." As the first-ever original song written and produced for the show, "Need Someone" soundtracked a crucial scene in season two's sixth episode, and delivered "the perfect sendoff for a beloved patient" (Esquire). Hailed as "gorgeous" (NPR Music), "emotional" (Stereogum), "haunting" (Collider) and "heartbreaking" (Mashable), "Need Someone" soared to #2 on Shazam's Global Top 200 after its onscreen debut, as The Pitt amassed more than one billion minutes viewed that week. Today, it arrives with an expanded version featuring Andrew Bird on guitar, vocals and violin, Gavin Brivik on guitar and synths, a rhythm section of Alan Hampton on bass and Kosta Galanopoulos on drums and piano, and, most notably, a sweeping string section arranged by Maxwell Karmazyn.

Listen to the newly extended "Need Someone" via Loma Vista Recordings:

HERE

On the heels of The Pitt's season two finale, Andrew Bird and Gavin Brivik gave their debut live performance of "Need Someone" at Deadline's Sound & Screen Television event this month, alongside a full orchestra and panel discussion that can be viewed on Deadline's site and YouTube.

"To write a song for a scene is the ultimate challenge. Just something about it being another voice and lyrical aspect of it really excites me," said Andrew Bird to Deadline. "I jumped on this right away and binged the first season to get a sense of what the characters had been through. I feel like what the show is doing is helping us talk about things we don't talk about, especially with the trauma of COVID. There's so much amnesia collectively as a people about it. It's dealing with all the mental health issues we need to talk about."

"I begged the showrunners just to give us the opportunity to pitch a song," addedGavin Brivik, also known for his work on NEON's How to Blow Up a Pipeline, and IFC / Shudder film Faces of Death. "I had no clue who was going to sing or collaborate. I just had these rough instrumental sketches. Andrew sent a voice memo back just singing on top of it, I synced the voice memo up to the scene and pitched."

In addition to The Pitt, Andrew Bird has composed music for movies by Judd Apatow, Lynn Shelton and Chris Pine, FX series Baskets and PBS documentary Storm Lake, while performing in Disney's The Muppets and making his professional acting debut on the cast of FX's Fargo. Bird has also released 20 acclaimed albums, headlined concerts at Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Red Rocks and festivals around the globe, delivered TED Talks and New York Times op-eds, recently reimagined all of the newly reissued, cult classic Buckingham Nicks LP alongside GRAMMY®-winner Madison Cunningham (Cunningham Bird), and worked with everyone from Fiona Apple to Phoebe Bridgers. He is currently celebrating the 20th Anniversary ofThe Mysterious Production of Eggs, the era-defining LP that cemented his enigmatic style into the indie music canon, inspired decades of imitation from others, and epitomized the ingenious form of whistling and emotional resonance that still prevails on songs like "Need Someone."

For more information, upcoming tour dates, current projects and more, visit andrewbird.net and gavinbrivik.com.

Andrew Bird Tour Dates

May 29th - Asheville, NC - Thomas Wolfe Auditorium - Asheville Symphony*

May 31st - Greensboro, NC - Tanger Center - Greensboro Symphony*

June 3rd - North Bethesda, MD - Strathmore Night 1 - National Philharmonic*

June 4th - North Bethesda, MD - Strathmore Night 2 - National Philharmonic*

August 1st - San Francisco, CA - Davies Symphony Hall - San Francisco Symphony*

August 4th - Cincinnati, OH - Taft Theatre - With Orchestra*

August 6th - New York, NY - SummerStage - Wordless Music Orchestra*

October 23rd - Los Angeles, CA - Walt Disney Concert Hall - Los Angeles Philharmonic*

October 27th - Mexico City - Teatro De La Ciudad - Love Academy Orchestra*

October 28th - Mexico City - Teatro De La Ciudad - Love Academy Orchestra*

November 10th - Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theatre - Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra*

November 13th - Chicago, IL - Symphony Center - Chicago Symphony Orchestra*

November 14th - Chicago, IL - Symphony Center - Chicago Symphony Orchestra*

November 17th - Detroit, MI - Fisher Music Center - Detroit Symphony Orchestra*

November 21st - Minneapolis, MN - Orchestra Hall - Minnesota Orchestra*

* The Mysterious Production of Eggs with Orchestra