Yesterday, July 16, marked the 80th anniversary of the Trinity Test, the US military’s first detonation of a nuclear weapon in the deserts of New Mexico. To observe the event and its devastating legacy, Kronos Quartet have enlisted an all-star group of collaborators for two treatments of Bob Dylan’s protest classic “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall.” The paired interpretations, which evoke distinct feelings in the face of looming destruction, were issued by and benefit the Red Hot organization.

The Hard Rain Collective assembled by the experimental classical quartet for their pertinent treatments of Dylan’s Cuban Missile Crisis rallying cry includes Willie Nelson, Iggy Pop, Allison Russell, Laurie Anderson, the Magnetic Fields’ Stephin Merritt, Tanya Tagaq, Slowspin, Asha Bhosle and more, who trade lines in a stirring faithful interpretation of the song. Several of these vocalists return on “Hard Rain (Drone),” a spoken work version that captures the confusion and dread of the moment with further readers including Ocean Vuong, Tom Morello, Sleaford Mods, Sampa The Great, Satomi Matsuzaki and the closing voice of Ringo Starr.

The twin recordings are backed by members Deerhoof, Patti Smith’s band and Belle & Sebastian, as well as the all-Brooklyn Hard Rain Singers vocal chorus, which comprises Xenia Rubinos, Frankie Cosmos, Lou Tides and more. The EP also includes Terry Riley with Sara Miyamoto‘s “Komal Reshab Asavari,” previously released by Red Hot to honor Riley’s birthday in June. 

Kronos Quartet debuted their version of “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” with Allison Russell last night at the closing event for the Nobel Laureate Assembly for the Prevention of Nuclear War. The group elaborated on the song’s origins and aims in a detailed statement:

“Owen Gaffney of the Nobel Prize Outreach invited Kronos to reimagine ‘A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall’ to mark 80 years since the Trinity Test of July 16, the bombing of Hiroshima August 6 and Nagasaki Aug. 9, 1945. That invitation set into motion a chain reaction of effort unique in our work. Kronos performed in Stockholm’s R1 KTH Reaktor Hall. We tried to make a unified musical/scientific response to the danger we all face. That performance on May 10, 2025, a safer time, led to today and the release of ‘Hard Rain’, two new versions of Bob Dylan’s classic to show its power and contemporary relevance.

“Even though we live in perilous times, there are also thrilling, courageous voices and wondrous instruments of celebration. Bob Dylan’s words and music give us all a collective response to the fear of nature’s annihilation. Kronos has been joined by participants from 15 countries ages 7-92 representing all humanity, along with producer Elia Einhorn and the activist music company Red Hot. Here we are: reenergized as we face an uncertain future because we were able to create ‘Hard Rain’ together.”

Listen to Kronos Quartet + The Hard Rain Collective’s EP on Red Hot’s Bandcamp.