Fiona Apple – Pretrial (Let Her Go Home)
After five years of relative silence, Fiona Apple returns with purpose and fury on “Pretrial (Let Her Go Home)”. This isn’t merely a comeback single – it’s the culmination of two years Apple spent as a court watcher, documenting thousands of bond hearings and witnessing firsthand the devastating impacts of America’s cash bail system.
The track’s stripped-down production serves its message with brutal efficiency. Opening with Apple’s unaccompanied voice repeating the refrain “They wouldn’t let her go home,” the song gradually incorporates tribal hand drums and flute, creating a hypnotic backdrop for its unflinching narrative. The minimal instrumentation allows the lyrics to stand front and centre, exactly where this message needs to be.
What makes “Pretrial” particularly powerful is how precisely it documents the cascading consequences of pretrial detention. Apple meticulously charts how one unjust imprisonment creates ripple effects: children missing school to visit hospitalised grandparents, protective services being called, rent payments missed, and ultimately, homes lost entirely. By the fifth verse, her measured tone gives way to raw anger as she recounts charges being dropped when “the only witness is the cop” who doesn’t even show up to court, making the preceding devastation all the more pointless.
The song was produced by Zealous and Special Operation Studios and released alongside an accompanying website, “Let Her Go Home,” where listeners can locate local bail funds and learn more about court watching initiatives. Apple notes that “on any given day, 190,600 women and girls are incarcerated in the United States,” with over 60,000 detained pretrial simply because they cannot afford bail. With an average yearly income of just $11,000, and over 66% being mothers with minor children, the human cost becomes devastatingly clear.
This release continues Apple’s advocacy work with Free Black Mamas DMV, an organization she’s volunteered with for five years. She helps post bail for Black mothers and witnesses “the stories of women who fought for and won their freedom.” In 2023, she further demonstrated her commitment by narrating and composing the score for a PSA for the National Courtwatch Network.
“Pretrial (Let Her Go Home)” marks Apple’s first original material since her acclaimed fifth album, 2020’s “Fetch the Bolt Cutters.” However, she has released several covers and collaborations in the interim, including a take on Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold” and a collaboration with the Waterboys titled “Letter From an Unknown Girlfriend.”
