Fans of North Carolina band The Avett Brothers have been awaiting their new album, “The Carpenter.” We had NPR’s First Listen of the album, which held us over until now. Get the new album for $9.99 on iTunes or in stores today. It’s the band’s sixth and is being called their best yet. We think it’ll be hard to top “I And Love And You,” but if the new track “Live and Die” that was released early for radio is any indication, fans will want to add “The Carpenter” to their collection.

Here’s the story behind the song “Live and Die.”