Vinyl Street Co.
About The Book...
If you could choose the last song you'd hear before you died, what would it be and why? Your favorite song of all time? Perhaps the one you danced to at your wedding? The song from that time you got super stoned and just let the chords speak to you? It's a hard question that Mike Ayers has thought about for years.
In One Last Song, Ayers invites 32 musicians to consider what song they would each want to accompany them to those pearly white gates. Weaving together their explanations with evocative illustrations and poignant interludes--what your song to die to says about you, what songs famous people have died to, and more. The book offers insight into the minds of famous artists and provides an entry point for considering how integral music is to our own personal narratives.
Artists Featured: Jim James of My Morning Jacket, André 3000, Killer Mike, Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, Phoebe Bridgers, Richard Reed Parry of Arcade Fire, Sam Beam of Iron & Wine, Colin Meloy of the Decemberists, Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips, Lauren Mayberry of CHVRCHES, A.C. Newman of The New Pornographers, Courtney Barrett, Bobb Bruno of Best Coast, Angel Olsen, Regina Spektor, Kevin Morby, Will Oldham, Julia Holter, Margo Price, Sonny Rollins, Ryley Walker, Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs, Yannis Phillippakis of Foals, Bettye Lavette, M.C. Taylor of Hiss Golden Messenger, Wanda Jackson, Rosanne Cash, Lucinda Williams, and Beth Orton.
Ever since I wore a brown-striped shirt in a school picture I’ve wanted to write things. My first published byline was with Billboard Magazine in 2004 and since then, I’ve written for a variety of national publications and magazines, including Rolling Stone, New York, The Wall Street Journal, Time, Vanity Fair,The Village Voice, Esquire, GQ, Relix, Uproxx, and many more. I’ve worked on staff at MTV, Rolling Stone, the Wall Street Journal, and am currently the Executive Editor at Money.com In 2020, Abrams published my first book, One Last Song, which was picked as a Best Book for Fall 2020 by Time Magazine and a Best Music Book of the Year by Variety. I live in South Orange, New Jersey and have a cat that wakes me up a lot.
The Sad Dads Book Club is a community-driven group dedicated to exploring the deep connections between literature and music. Founded on the idea that both art forms can tell powerful stories, the club focuses on books that delve into the creative process of musicians, the emotional landscapes of artists, and the cultural impact of music on society. Its reading selections, ranging from memoirs to fiction, often tie directly into the world of music, with past titles including Patti Smith’s Just Kids and Tiffanie DeBartolo’s Sorrow.
A distinctive feature of the Sad Dads Book Club is its commitment to engaging directly with the authors through regular Q&A sessions. These discussions are central to the club’s mission, offering members a chance to deepen their understanding of each book by interacting with the minds behind the stories. The Q&As provide valuable insights into the inspiration and creative processes of the authors, giving readers a rare opportunity to explore how music and writing intersect. These conversations not only enrich the reading experience but also build a sense of community among members, who come together to reflect on the broader themes of creativity, identity, and art.
The club’s dedication to fostering meaningful dialogue makes these author Q&A sessions an essential part of its mission. By offering a platform for readers to connect with authors, the Sad Dads Book Club bridges the gap between the stories on the page and the lived experiences behind them, allowing members to engage more deeply with the books and the music that inspire them.
Expanding on its literary focus, the Sad Dads Book Club recently launched High Fidelity Book Club in partnership with Bloomsbury Publishing’s 33 1/3 book series. This new offshoot is dedicated to exploring books about iconic albums and their cultural significance. High Fidelity provides another dimension to the club’s love of music, focusing on works that chronicle legendary records and their lasting influence on both artists and fans. Also with in-person Q&A events with the authors, High Fidelity broadens the scope of the club's reach while maintaining the same intimate, thoughtful approach to literature and music.
The Sad Dads Book Club, along with its High Fidelity initiative, continues to thrive as a space where readers and music lovers alike can connect, engage, and explore the transformative power of storytelling and song.
