After nearly a decade away from releasing new music, legendary singer, songwriter and performer Nic Bearde returns with ‘Never Say Die’, a bold and invigorating single that reaffirms his place among the greats. For more than 35 years, Bearde has mesmerized audiences from San Francisco to Tokyo with a velvet baritone, sharp wit and effortless charisma, qualities that once again take center stage on this comeback moment.
Raised in Nashville on late-night radio staples and the voices of Billy Eckstine, Nat King Cole, and Lou Rawls, Bearde has long carried the torch for elegant, roots-driven storytelling. His latest release channels that lineage while breaking new ground. Part of the forward-thinking Never Say Die project led by longtime collaborator Tom Donald and hiTrecords, the track pushes Bearde into fresh territory without losing the warmth and sophistication that define his artistry.
“I never thought I’d do a ‘rap’ record, and this isn’t that,” Bearde explains. “But through experimentation, and with Tom’s help, we found a way to tell this story of aging gracefully, and to quote Dylan Thomas, of not going ‘gentle into that good night.'”
Musically, ‘Never Say Die’ is a jubilant collision of funk, blues, and rock, built on brass bursts, warm piano, gritty guitar lines, and gospel-tinged backing vocals. The arrangement lifts Bearde’s performance with cinematic flair. vibrant, playful, and bursting with life. The accompanying studio-shot video captures the chemistry of the full band, underscoring the joy and communal energy that have made Bearde such a magnetic performer for decades.
With ‘Never Say Die’, Nic Bearde evolves. The track stands as a testament to an artist still willing to take risks, to reinvent, and to remind listeners that the blues, and Bearde himself, remain timeless.