The 1975 and The xx have signed up to assist an emergency climate change campaign.
Music industry collective Music Declares Emergency (MDE) has amassed 2,000 signatories to its declaration of a climate and ecological emergency, since it was launched over the summer.
They received initial backing from a host of music companies including AIM, Abbey Road Studios, The BRIT School and more. IDLES and Nadine Shah also signed up for the initiative.
Now, new additions including The BPI, The BRITs, The 1975, The xx, Kobalt Music Group, The Musicians’ Union and Rough Trade Shops have brought the total number of signatories to 2,000.
Stephen Godfroy, co-owner of Rough Trade Shops, told Music Week: “Increasing humankind’s odds of survival in the face of the growing climate crisis is the major calling of our time. If music’s worldwide audience can be made aware, can trigger unified political action, then the time to find our global voice is now. Music Declares Emergency succinctly focuses our working lives into a co-ordinated response – it’s time everyone signed up, it’s time we turned up the volume.”
This Friday, (September 20) MDE has organised Labels Strike For Climate, which will see independent record labels including XL, Young Turks, Full Time Hobby and Ninja Tune take part in a strike in London’s Parliament Square.
On September 30, the campaign is to host an inaugural meeting for all interested parties to determine future action. The event will take place at Grand Junction at St Mary Magdalene’s, Rowington Close, London W2 5TF.
MDE speakers will be joined by industry figures and special guests to discuss the challenges facing the music business. For further information click here.
The 1975 recently teamed up with climate change activist Greta Thunberg for the new climate change-related song ‘The 1975’ from their forthcoming album ‘Notes On A Conditional Form’.
NME recently described the track as a “bold, brave move, and one that might be accused of being cynical had The 1975 not got such form in putting world events into music faster than their peers.”