Today, Eric D. Johnson shares the latest from Fruit Bats' upcoming stunner Baby Man, “Creature From the Wild.” The song, an homage to Johnson's beloved dog Pinto, is now streaming wherever you listen to music. Proceeds from digital sales of the track (and a portion of digital pre-orders of Baby Man) on Bandcamp will benefit Baja Street Dogs, from now until September 11, 2025. Reserve your copy of Baby Man on CD or LP ahead of its September 12 release from the Merge store.
“Creature From the Wild” serves as an homage to Pinto that acknowledges the sorrow of loss, but more so celebrates the immeasurable impact his life had on his owners lives with sincerity and gratitude. These feelings are all too relatable to anyone who has lost a cherished pet.
Eric D. Johnson on “Creature From the Wild”:
We raise dogs like they’re our kids, but goddamn it, they only live to be around 15 if we’re lucky. The line “and you saved us for a while” came tumbling out. But they really do save us, but for such a precious short time. I’ve always wanted to write a dog song. I lost my dog this spring. I loved him a lot. He was a Mexican street dog and a wild animal and a true gentleman. A real swashbuckling spirit. This is a hero song about him and his legend.
In support of Baby Man, Fruit Bats recently announced a fall tour, An Intimate, Solo Evening with Eric D. Johnson. Stops will include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Toronto, Brooklyn and Cambridge, MA. Tickets are on sale now.
Fruit Bats on tour:
Aug 01 Seattle, WA – Occidental Mall
Aug 02-03 Portland, OR – Pickathon
Aug 06 Kalamazoo, MI – Bell's Brewing
Aug 07 Pittsburgh, PA – Thunderbird
Aug 08 Providence, RI – Fete
Aug 09 Portland, ME – On the Ocean Fest
Aug 11 Charlton, MA – The Pavilion at Tree House Brewing
Aug 13 Burlington, VT – Higher Ground
Aug 14 Hamden, CT – Space Ballroom
Aug 15 Queens, NY – The Rockaway Hotel
Aug 16 Manchester, VT – Green Mountain Bluegrass & Roots Festival
Oct 16 Ojai, CA – Ojai Valley Woman's Club (Solo)
Oct 17 Los Angeles, CA – Pico Union Project (Solo)
Oct 18 San Francisco, CA – The Chapel (Solo – two shows)
Oct 20 Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater (Solo)
Oct 22 Stoughton, WI – Stoughton Opera House (Solo)
Oct 23 Minneapolis, MN – Icehouse (Solo)
Oct 24 Chicago, IL – Old Town School of Folk Music (Solo)
Oct 25 Chicago, IL – Old Town School of Folk Music (Solo)
Oct 27 Ann Arbor, MI – The Ark (Solo)
Oct 29 Toronto, ON – Longboat Hall (Solo)
Oct 30 Buffalo, NY – The Ninth Ward (Solo)
Nov 01 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg (Solo)
Nov 02 Cambridge, MA – Sinclair (Solo)
