Robyn, Massive Attack, Mystery Jets Sign Up To Music Declares Emergency Campaign
Stars including Radiohead and The 1975 have already joined the mission seeking to revitalise how the music industry tackles climate disaster.
Robyn, Massive Attack and Mystery Jets head up the new names who have signed up to the Music Declares Emergency campaign aimed at revitalising how the music industry tackles the climate disaster.
Over 2,250 artists and figures within the music industry have now signed up to the campaign, which began in July. Other new names on the campaign include The Wombats, Prophets Of Rage’s Tom Morello and Pixx, as well as festivals The Green Man and Great Escape. Other artists who have already signed up to Music Declares Emergency include Radiohead, The 1975, The xx, Idles and Nadine Shah.
Mystery Jets frontman Blaine Harrison said of the band’s decision to sign up: “The music industry needs to find greener ways to put on concerts and festivals, to release our art and bring our music to new audiences. We need to be the soundtrack to change.”
MDE vows it will help tackle climate change by “speaking out about the climate and ecological emergency”, as well as sharing expertise in a bid to make the music industry “ecologically sustainable and regenerative”.
The initiative calls on governments to reverse biodiversity loss and reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. It is calling on governments and media institutions to “tell the truth about the climate and ecological emergency.”
Its stated aims also said: “We acknowledge the impact of music industry practices and commit to taking urgent action.”
The full details of Music Declares Emergency’s aims can be found on its official website.
Savages drummer Fay Milton, a member of the MDE working group, said: “As I sat at a music festival in the desert, watching Extinction Rebellion’s action unfold so beautifully in London, I realised that something had to change. It seemed like the music world had lost touch with reality, partying like there’s no tomorrow, when ‘no tomorrow’ has become the forecast.”
Milton added: “On realising I wasn’t alone with these thoughts, Music Declares Emergency was born. The momentum of support has been huge and making a declaration is just the first step to creating real change. We face a climate and ecological emergency and the only proportionate response is to act boldly and act now.”