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DJ General Strike’s Top 40 Protest Songs of 2025

January 9, 2026 Shouts - Music from the Rooftops! 1 Comment

Happy New Year comrades. This is DJ General Strike, host of the weekly protest music radio show, Protest Tunes on 91.3 KBCS FM in Seattle, WA. I broadcast 2 hours of radical protest music of all genres and eras every Wednesday at 9 PM. 2025 was a great year for protest music, as there was certainly a lot to protest this year in the US, given the rise of MAGA-fascism under Trump’s second term. The massive No Kings Protests in June and October inspired many great protest songs, as did the ICE-Out movement against Trump’s immigration crackdown, the cover-up and eventual limited release of the Epstein files, the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the cost-of-living crisis exacerbated by Trump’s tariffs and DOGE cuts, and the attacks on the transgender and LGBT community.

Over the last year, I’ve compiled a playlist of over 1,100 of these protest songs, which you can listen to in its entirety here, and I’ve made 4 shows on my top protest songs of each season, or what I call “Molotov Hot Tracks.” I’ve painstakingly narrowed that high volume of songs down to my top 40 protest songs of 2025. I aired most of these songs on my show on New Year’s Eve, which you can listen to an archive of here.

The songs are organized by genre below for ease of listening (and alphabetically within genre), and you can also listen to all 40 on this Spotify Playlist. Without further ado, here’s my top 40 Protest Songs of 2025.

Folk

1. Hundred Year Hunger by Billy Bragg

Billy Bragg is an English protest singer-songwriter, author, and activist. The song about the Gaza genocide and the historical events that led to it was inspired by the book Hundred Year Hunger by E. Mark Windle. The song is also a benefit for the Amos Trust’s Gaza Appeal. This single was released on September 8th to coincide with the humanitarian aid Global Sumud Flotilla for Gaza.

2. Little Flame by Carsie Blanton

Carsie Blanton is a singer-songwriter and guitarist based in New Orleans, US. About this song, just released December 5th, she said, “I’ve been learning a bunch of protest songs, and I had that itchy-brain feeling that I might be searching for a song that didn’t exist yet. I wanted to tie together the loose ends of history into one long tapestry of solidarity; a kind of unified theory of liberation movements.”

3. Everyone’s in the Street by Dispatch ft. Ani DiFranco

Dispatch is an indie/roots band from Boston, US, and this track features Grammy-winning feminist folk-rock singer-songwriter, author, and activist Ani DiFranco. This song connects modern protest movements to the legacy of social change activism. Dispatch said, “This song pays homage to some of the great activists of our time, John Lewis, Delores Huerta, Alice Stokes Paul, and Lois Curtis. It highlights the importance of gathering in community to pursue justice and wage peace.”

4. No Kings by Jesse Welles ft. Joan Baez

Jesse Welles is a protest singer-songwriter and guitarist from Arkansas, US. He released a solo version of this song the day before the October No Kings protests, and in early November, he performed it live with legendary 84-year-old folk singer and activist, Joan Baez, at his San Francisco Fillmore concert. A couple of weeks later, they recorded the duet in-studio and just released it on December 12th.

5. Amerikkka’s Veins by Jordan Smart

Jordan Smart is a singer-songwriter currently based in Ludlow, US. This song is the opening track on his album Confessions of a CEO. Jordan recorded the tracks between one and three takes at Small Blue Studio in Lexington, Kentucky, with J. Tom Hnatow. This is a powerful anthem against police brutality, inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement.

6. Heavy Foot by Mon Rovia

Mon Rovia is a child refugee of the Liberian Civil War, who was adopted at age 7 and brought to Tennessee, US, and created a sound that he dubbed “Afro-Appalachian.” About this song, he said, “Heavy Foot’ lays bare the scars of a broken system, all under the weight of a heavy-footed government. Yet, through this gravity, it sings of unbreakable unity—reminding us that in the face of oppression, our love and solidarity can defy the forces that try to hold us down.”

7. Fire In America by Sasha Allen

This viral protest song by transgender singer-songwriter and former The Voice finalist Sasha Allen uses far-right activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination in September as a lens to examine the perpetual cycle of violence in America. The song sparked controversy after MSNBC’s Joy Reid praised its lyrics, leading to widespread conservative backlash online.

8. If the People Unite by Seth Staton Watkins

Seth Staton Watkins is a folk singer from St. Louis, US. Though from the States, he primarily sings and is best known for his renditions of traditional/rebel Irish tunes and sea shanties. He records and produces all of his music in his home studio. He describes this anti-Trump rallying cry as “a song to succor a weary soul through the bitter cold of winter”.

Rock

9. A World of Love and Care by Ezra Furman

Ezra Furman is a Jewish transwoman and Boston, US-based singer-songwriter and author, who previously released three albums as Ezra Furman and the Harpoons. This utopian song about building a better world is off her new album Goodbye Small Head, released in May.

10. The List by Moon Walker

Brooklyn, US-based indie-rock artist Harry Springer composes, produces, and performs all of Moon Walker’s music in his bedroom. He started Moon Walker at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, to pass the time and make some extra money selling songs to music libraries. Since then, Moon Walker has had viral success on TikTok and has now amassed over 100 million streams and sold out shows across America. He released this single about Trump’s Epstein Files cover-up in October.

11. Big Crime by Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts

Young is a Legendary singer, songwriter, and musician formerly of bands Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. This song, released September 8th, lambasts Donald Trump, features his backing band, The Chrome Hearts, and was recorded during a sound check at a concert on Chicago’s Northerly Island.

R&B/Pop

12. Build A Ballroom by A Gift from Todd & Ken Sandberg

@ken.sandberg
Singing along with Build A Ballroom by @agiftfromtodd #singalong #duet #buildaballroom #acapella
♬ original sound – Ken Sandberg

A Gift From Todd is a Baltimore, US-based artist and content creator. This viral a capella protest song against Trump’s demolition of the east wing of the White House to build a $300 million ballroom funded by private donors was first shared on TikTok in October. It gained significant traction on social media, leading to various duets and collaborations, notably this version with actor, singer, and podcaster Ken Sandberg, which they released together in November.

13. Sleeves Up by Crys Matthews

Crys Matthews is a former drum major and classically-trained clarinetist turned folk singer. Matthews says she is using her voice to answer Dr. Martin Luther King’s call to be “a drum major for justice.” She was born and raised in a small town in North Carolina by an A.M.E. preacher. She released this post-Trump-election call to action on inauguration day.

14. Pretrial (Let Her Go Home) by Fiona Apple

The three-time Grammy-winning genre-bending singer-songwriter and pianist released this rallying cry for pretrial reform in May, her first original song in five years. “Pretrial (Let Her Go Home)” is a protest anthem shaped by Fiona Apple’s activism, including years of court watching, community organizing, and listening to the women impacted by pretrial incarceration in Prince George’s County, Maryland, as a volunteer with the organization CourtWatch PG.

15. Lady Liberty by Galactic & Irma Thomas

Galactic is a funk band from New Orleans, US, formed in 1994. Irma Thomas is an 84-year-old pillar of American R&B and blues history known as the “Soul Queen of New Orleans”. They released this single about the erosion of democracy under Trump in January, off their collaborative album Audience With The Queen, which dropped in April.

16. Reparations by Kirby

Kirby is a soul singer-songwriter from Mississippi, US. Before pursuing a solo career, she was a songwriter for stars like Ariana Grande, Rihanna, Beyoncé, and Paul McCartney. This track, calling for reparations for slavery, was inspired by her grandparents’ story and her ancestors who were slaves on the Dockery cotton plantation. It’s off her sophomore album, Miss Black America, released in August.

Reggae/Ska

17. Last Call In America by Fishbone ft. George Clinton

Fishbone is an all black ska/funk/rock fusion band formed in 1979 by brothers John and Phillip Fisher and their friends in junior high school in Los Angeles, US. This song features the godfather of funk, George Clinton, and is off their newest album, Stockholm Syndrome, which dropped June 27. The song speaks directly to the current social, economic, and political climate in America under Trump’s second term.

18. World Citizen by Irie Souljah & Kabaka Pyramid

Irie Souljah is a Spanish Reggae artist, born and raised in Barcelona, who relocated to Jamaica in 2014. After dropping out of music school in his mid-teens, he started going to street parties with his friends, where he discovered reggae icons and started the band, Mystic Souldiers, which became one of the biggest reggae acts in Spain. The track features conscious contemporary Jamaican reggae artist Kabaka Pyramid. This single, released in July, critiques anti-immigrant policies around the world and calls for truly open borders, where every person is considered a ‘world citizen’ with freedom to move and migrate as they need or desire.

19. The Way You Tune It Out by JER

JER is a YouTuber, musician, composer, and music educator who hosts the YouTube channel Skatune Network, where they post ska covers of popular songs, earning the fan nickname “The CEO of Ska”. They also play trombone for ska-punk band We Are the Union. They released this single, about normalizing and turning a blind eye to injustice, in June, off their album Death of the Heart, which came out in August.

20. Street Cry by Young Veterans, Sizzla, Luciano & Turbulence

Young Veterans Music is an independent record label operating out of Kingston, Jamaica. They brought together 3 prominent conscious Jamaican reggae artists for this song; Luciano, Jamaican second-generation roots reggae singer whose lyrics promote consciousness and eschew slackness (vulgarity); Sizzla, a contemporary reggae artist noted for his high number of releases (56 albums to date); and Turbulence, a reggae artist known for mixing roots reggae with elements of dancehall and Rastafarian spirituality. Released in August, the song calls attention to the struggles of the poor and the need for systemic change to end poverty.

Hip-Hop

21. Inamo, Customs Enforcement by Bambu

Bambu is a Filipino-American community activist and rapper from Los Angeles, US, now based in Oakland. Bambu utilizes his music as a tool for a larger goal – to reach and support youth who face issues of poverty and gang violence that he experienced, and move them to question what goes on in the world, with the eventual goal of organizing and activism. This song against Trump’s immigration crackdown (inamo is a curse word in Tagalog) is off his newest album, They’re Burning the Boats, released in October.

22. Sick, Sad World by Bob Vylan

Bob Vylan is an English political punk-rap duo based in London, also known as The Bobs, as both of them go by the stage name Bobbie Dylan (with different spellings). Their leading the crowd in the Gaza solidarity protest chant “death, death to the IDF” during their performance at Glastonbury Festival this June resulted in their visas for an upcoming tour in the US being revoked. They released this single about the cost of living crisis on October 10th.

23. rage by Dezi

DEZI’s an Los Angeles, US-based alt-pop/hip-hop artist whose music comes from embracing every aspect of her identity. “My whole life is about riding the in-between. I’m Cuban American, I’m bisexual, I’m very femme but also very masc. For a long time, I felt like I had to choose which parts of myself to show, but now I’ve stopped trying to be some sort of perfect package.” About this song, she said, “It’s a song for the people who feel their best isn’t enough, who were sold an unattainable dream due to the systems our government created.”

24. THREAT LEVEL ORANGE by Earth to Eve

Earth to Eve is the solo project of Los Angeles, US-based indie-pop artist Eve Weisberger. Almost every aspect of her songs, the writing, lyrics, production, mixing, and mastering, is all done by her alone. She released this viral anti-Trump protest song this July, which was designed to be sung easily at protests.

25. No Kings In The USA by Gangstagrass ft. Allison Russell

Gangstagrass is a Bluegrass and hip-hop fusion group, best known for the theme song of the FX show Justified. Founded in 2006 by US producer Rench to “make super funky jams of hip-hop and bluegrass that bring together the best of both worlds.” They released this song featuring Canadian roots artist Allison Russell, to coincide with “No Kings” protests on June 14th.

26. 3.5% by Hyphen

Hyphen is an English rapper and songwriter of Indian origin who was working in finance and feeling depressed and lacking purpose, and started making music to help him deal with depression, which gave him a new sense of purpose. This track is inspired by the 3.5% rule, developed by political scientist Erica Chenoweth, which suggests that when about 3.5% of a population actively participates in a nonviolent protest movement, it’s highly likely to succeed in achieving major political change. This song is off Hyphen’s new EP, This Might Be It, released in August.

27. EVERYTHING’S ON FIRE by Lil Darkie

Lil Darkie is an experimental rapper, producer, and visual artist known for pushing the boundaries of genre and expression from Long Beach, US. Blending elements of hip-hop, punk, metal, folk, country, and electronic music, his work is raw, aggressive, and unapologetically honest. This track, about the rising cost of living and rising fascism in the US, is off his new album USD, released July 24th.

28. fucked up by Macklemore

Four-time Grammy-winning hip-hop artist Macklemore came up with the persona “Professor Macklemore” for an art project involving a superhero while attending High School in Seattle, US. He rose to international success collaborating with producer Ryan Lewis as the duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. Macklemore released this protest single against Trump’s second term and the genocide in Gaza in February, with all proceeds going to UNRWA.

29. START A FIRE by The Neighborhood Kids

The Neighborhood Kids are a conscious hip-hop collective from San Diego, US, on a mission to spark unity and drive social change through music. DAMAG3 is a transgender alternative hip-hop artist who started out making music in their bedroom outside of New Orleans, and released their first songs in 2021. The Neighborhood Kids and DAMAG3 released this collaborative anti-capitalist call to arms in July.

30. Sirens by SkyDxaddy

SkyDxddy is a pop/hip-hop singer/songwriter who calls her genre “Traumacore.” She says about herself “I started making music after everything I went through, so many people go through trauma, of all kinds. And we’re bred not to talk about it. That’s so harmful. My music allows the listener to feel it, process it, and feel power from the fact that they made it out.” This song about militant resistance to violence against women, is off SkyDxddy’s debut album, TRAUMACORE: RAW AND UNCUT, which she released this May.

Metal/Hardcore

31. PO$T AMERICAN by Dead Pioneers

Dead Pioneers emerged as an extension of vocalist Gregg Deal’s performance art, blending music with critical cultural commentary. Rooted in themes of identity and resistance, the band’s sound acts as a platform for addressing the complexities of Indigenous experience. They released this single against white nationalism and American patriotism in January, which is also the title track of their newest album released in April.

32. Clockworked ft. LANDMVRKS

Stray from the Path is a Political hardcore band formed in 2001 in Long Island, US. “Their music fuses hardcore with metallic precision, hip-hop swagger, punk urgency, and political commentary.” This song against apathy and conformity to rising fascism is the title track off their new and final album, Clockworked, released May 30th, and features French metalcore band LANDMVRKS.

33. Scene 1 by SUMAC & Moor Mother

Pacific Northwest trio Sumac is a post-metal supergroup formed in 2014. It features the Vancouver, Canada-based Nick Yacyshyn, Seattle, US-based Brian Cook, and Vashon Island, US-based Aaron Turner. Moor Mother is a Jazz poet, rapper, musician, and activist from Philadelphia, US, of the bands Irreversible Entanglements and 700 Bliss. This song against European colonialism and anti-black racism is off their collaborative concept album The Film, released in April.

34. HOSTAGE (they will not erase us) by TX2

TX2, AKA Timothy Evan Thomas, is a queer musician who blends hip hop, metal, and punk rock from Fort Collins, US. TX2’s first went viral on TikTok Tok and he now has 1.3 million followers and 45 million likes on the platform. TX2 also started the “X Movement”, which is all about bringing awareness to mental health issues, and has been donating proceeds from this song to The Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for the LGBTQ+ community. About this track, which is a rallying cry for equality, visibility, and justice, for the queer and trans community, which he released in April, TX2 said, “This is our anthem. They will not erase us.”

Punk

35. Down to Riot by Cheap Perfume

Cheap perfume is an unapologetically political feminist punk band out of Denver, US, formed in 2015. About this single, released July 18th, off their album Don’t Care. Didn’t Ask (released this October). Guitarist-vocalist Jane No said, “This working-class anthem was inspired by hearing so many people after the pandemic complaining that ‘No one wants to work anymore.”

36. Protect Trans Kids by Evan Greer & Ryan Cassata

This song is a collaboration of two trans activist-musicians: Ryan Cassata, a trans masc singer-songwriter, actor, YouTuber, speaker, and activist based in New York, US; and Evan Greer, a trans fem digital rights activist, writer, and musician from Boston, US. They released this punk anthem this Trans Day of Visibility (March 31st). About the track, Greer said, “The goal of this song is to remind people that it’s actually pretty f–ing simple: Let [trans] kids be kids. Stop bullying them. Just leave them alone.”

37. BRAINROT by Grandson

Grandson is an American-Canadian singer, songwriter, rapper, and activist based in Los Angeles, US, who began releasing music in 2015. BRAINROT was his first new release in two years since the Venom film theme song, and the lead single off his album INERTIA, which dropped in September. About the song, Grandson said, “‘BRAINROT’ is about the distraction of the internet, the way our attention span is weaponized and attacked by technology companies to prevent any real momentum building on the pressing issues of our generation.”

38. Bad Apple by Lambrini Girls

Lambrini Girls are an English punk rock duo formed in Brighton by Phoebe Lunny and Selin Macieira-Boşgelmez, who are both LGBT and neurodivergent. They took their name from Lambrini, a brand of sweet sparkling pear cider, associated with low-class women. This anti-police brutality track is off their album Who Let the Dogs Out, released in January.

39. Not In Your Mouth, None Of Your Business by Peaches

Peaches is a queer feminist Canadian electroclash musician, performance artist, director, and producer known for her sexually transgressive persona. She began her musical career in the 1990s as part of the folk trio, Mermaid Cafe, and is now 59 years old. She released this single in October, the lead single off her first album in over a decade, No Lube So Rude, due in 2026. This song is a rousing battle cry for bodily autonomy and a protest against the Trump administration’s attacks on trans and queer people’s freedom.

Jazz

40. A Plea by Flea

This Eight-minute jazz single was released on December 2nd by the Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist, and second-best bassist of all time (according to Rolling Stone). He was first called “Flea” as a teenager for his seeming inability to sit still, and the nickname stuck. This track is the first preview of his forthcoming solo jazz album. Flea describes the song’s lyrics as “yearning for a place beyond, a place of love, to help us all to live harmoniously and productively in a way that’s healthy for the world.”

Interview

A Protest Music Interview: Pete Murphy

March 19, 2020 Halldór H Kristínarson Leave a comment

“How did you find out about my music” he asks me via Facebook messenger. I tell him it popped up when I searched for the tag ‘political’. The title of Pete Murphy‘s latest album was enough to catch my attention and as I listened to the album I knew I had to send him some questions for a Shouts interview.

Pete is a very honest human being as you will see while reading the interview below. Honesty in this time and age is also precious and refreshing. Pete is a very efficient musician who has an impressive track record on Bandcamp and other music service pages.

His latest album focuses on a variety of issues all of which stem from his confusion about why we as humans are still having to discuss things that to him seem normal.

Halldór Bjarnason: For those not familiar with your work, who is Pete Murphy?

Pete Murphy: Pete Murphy is an independent songwriter / musician from the West Midlands in the UK, not to be confused with Peter Murphy, the famous songwriter / musician from the East Midlands in the UK (I’ve been asked many times if I’m the Bauhaus frontman, and even have people liking my social media pages and tagging me in posts because they think I’m ‘him’).

I started playing the guitar 37 years ago, and have been a professional musician for almost 25 years. I spent many years playing in bands, but these days I just stay at home and write/record my own music. I’m a ‘one man band’, although I occasionally have a friend come and play a part that I’m not good enough to do (like my friend Matt Malone – https://www.malonerocks.com/ , a brilliant rock n’ roll artist from Birmingham England, who has done several vocal parts that are outside of my range. He’s a far better singer than I, and he can reach some ridiculously high notes).

I’m an unapologetically gentle guy, who treats making music as a form of therapy.

I don’t really have a style, and I don’t subscribe to the concept or confinements of genre. I’ve made what might be considered rock concept albums, musical soap operas, experimental electronic/techno, comedy, avant pop, and lots more.

I make unpopular music that doesn’t really fit in anywhere. I have a song called ‘Grotesquary’, which is on my ‘Theatre Of The Absurd’ album, and the first line is “I’m not weird enough for the weird people, I’m not normal enough for the normal people”, and that pretty much sums it up.

Halldór: You have an impressive arsenal of work on your Bandcamp page, with several albums released last year and many more albums, EP’s and singles before that. Where do find the time and the creative spirit to write so much music and what is your background in music?

Pete: I think I actually released seven albums last year, and a handful of EP’s. Although I wrote songs for the bands I played in, I didn’t start releasing solo music until 2017. I didn’t think I was ‘good enough’. I can’t play the piano very well, I’ve never been a great or confident vocalist, and I’m a socially awkward guy who suffers with anxiety and various other mental health disorders. I’ve always felt that I had a knack for writing a decent melody, and I think I’m pretty good at arranging, but for a long time I felt that I fell short in every other area. I guess I still do, but I no longer allow it to stop me from putting my music out into the world.

In 2016, I had recorded what ended up being my debut album. It took a long time to record, the sessions were frustrating, and I ended up in a cycle of self-doubt, and on a constant and futile search for perfection. I ended up abandoning the project for a while, and I decided that my music career was pretty much over. Several months later I revisited the songs, with the intention of releasing them as a collection of demos, as it was likely to be “the last musical project I would ever work on”.

Shortly after its release, a number of things coincided that made me feel that I had more to say musically.

Since early 2017 I’ve released a total of 25 albums, 10 EP’s, and a few singles. I make albums quickly these days. Generally, an album will take between 2 and 4 weeks, from inception to completion.

Some are made more quickly. A few have been made in 11 or 12 days. Some were completed in a couple of days (mainly the solo piano albums I’ve done). I write very differently these days. I’ll often just let my hands drop onto the piano keys or guitar neck, and whatever notes I happen to hit will form the basis of a song. Sometimes a concept will come to me in a dream. I wrote an entire album based around a dream I had. There are numerous ‘dream songs’ scattered throughout my work.

Mistakes are left in, there’s a lot of running on pure instinct, and I leave myself very little time to reflect on what I’ve done. I’ll often release an album within an hour of finishing it. I like my albums to be as pure and ‘in the moment’ as possible.

As far as finding the time… music is what I do. It’s pretty much all I CAN do. I don’t make much money from my solo work, but I have other projects which allow me to work from home and make music all day.

Halldór: Your latest offering kind of says it all in the title but at the same time leaves much for the imagination (or listening). Why did you make this album now and what do you hope to achieve with it? Have you made such protest pieces before?

Pete: I’m at a strange place right now, as far as hopes and achievements go. I have no following to speak of. Very few people are interested in what I do. I know I don’t particularly make it easy for the listener, with the fact that I produce music that is stylistically all over the place, recorded at home, low production aesthetic, etc.
I had a somewhat naive thought for a while, that out of the billions of people on the planet there might be a few who would get what I’m doing, and support my art in a sustainable way. Say, 50 or 100 people who have no interest in commercial radio, who are into music that is experimental, music that takes risks and isn’t afraid to occasionally fall flat on its face, music that is sometimes lyrically challenging, sometimes lyrically stupid or nonsensical or whimsical, music that sometimes mixes several styles in one song.

But, no. At best, I’m currently selling one or two copies of an album. People don’t write about, talk about, or share my music, so I was very pleasantly surprised when you asked me to do this interview.

Having so few listeners means that I have complete freedom to create what I want, as there are no expectations, but it also feels like shouting into a void, and it puts a lot of pressure on mental health and the like.

As far as whether I’ve made such protest pieces before… I’m often protesting something in my songs, but I don’t think I’ve made an entire album based around a political statement before (‘I Can’t Believe That We’re Still Having These Conversations’). A song like ‘Vaudeville’ from the ‘Theatre Of The Absurd’ album is pretty obvious in its intent. It’s also kinda childish, but I felt the childish nature was appropriate, with it being about a big man child.

Incidentally, I recently made most of my music free (or ‘pay what you want’) on my Bandcamp page.

Halldór: Some people seem to think that art should be separated from current affairs, politics, activism etc. and that music should be the escape from all that. What is your take on that?

Pete: I think there is room for it. There is room for anything when it comes to music. To me, music is about expressing yourself in your own unique way. Who is anyone else to tell you to ‘stop trying to be a politician and stick to music’? There will always be overlap in any area… politics overlaps religion overlaps music overlaps philosophy overlaps literature, and so on.

Music can be a lot of things. It can be an escape, it can be cerebral, it can be meditative, it can be political, it can do good, it can do harm… endless options… so why should an artist be lambasted for tackling current affairs or politics? If people don’t like it, they can always ignore it and find something that is more appealing to their ears.

Some of my favourite artists have been accused of being self-indulgent because they tackle certain subjects/styles or use uncommon instrumentation or arrangements. My view is that music and art SHOULD be self-indulgent! It certainly shouldn’t be diluted by marketing people and accountants, and people shouldn’t ever feel pressured to make music that other people want or expect them to make.

In my opinion, some of the greatest music ever created is politically motivated. For example, Funkadelic’s ‘America Eats Its Young’ (‘If You Don’t Like The Effects, Don’t Produce The Cause’ has never felt more relevant).

But sure, go ahead and listen to “I wanna rock n’ roll all night, and sleep all day” or “Unskinny Bop” or “Uptown Girl” or “Call Me Maybe”, if that’s what makes you happy.

I’ve been told that I should ‘stick to one style’. No thanks. That would bore the hell out of me. I don’t follow societal norms, trends, or fashions. I have no idea what’s in the charts, or who the current ‘big thing’ is.

I wouldn’t consider myself an overtly political artist, in that I don’t try to sell myself as a ‘political musician’. I write about what I see happening around me, and that will often include political issues. Any subject is just a step away from being political anyway… the overlaps I mentioned earlier. If you look at online discussions about pretty much any subject, at some point the conversation will invariably turn political. I write about religion, child abuse, poverty, sexuality… all subjects that are ripe for political discourse.

I also make a lot of cross album references, and sometimes wrap very personal things up in double or triple meanings. If anyone ever took the time to unpack those ideas, they would discover a lot about me.

I know artists who avoid writing about anything political or challenging, for fear of losing followers/fans, or ‘damaging their brand’. I have to speak my truth, however uncomfortable it gets, and however damaging it might be to any ‘career aspirations’ I may have.

Halldór: On your Bandcamp page you write “In some cases I didn’t know exactly what I was going to sing until I hit the record button.” How was making this album different from your previous albums?

Pete: I don’t really have a set approach. Sometimes I’ll wake up and think “today I’m going to make a solo jazz piano album, even though I can’t play jazz”. Sometimes I’ll have an entire concept planned out in my head before I go anywhere near a guitar, piano, or computer. Sometimes I’ll just start writing and recording and see what happens. In those cases, sometimes the overall concept will reveal itself at some point during the recording sessions, other times I’ll end up with a collection of disparate songs or elements that I force together, like hanging Santa Claus, a nativity scene, a chocolate coin, and a Christmas cracker on an evergreen conifer.

I have made other albums where I didn’t know exactly what I was going to do until I hit the record button, but in those situations it was with the instruments more than the vocals. I remember that on my ‘Thelonious Punk’ and ‘Junk Funk Hospitle’ albums, a lot of the guitar and bass parts were made up on the spot… lots of improvisation, and probably numerous things that don’t make sense harmonically, but that kind of hang together in the context of the song.

As far as the latest album goes, I would usually have at least a rough idea of what the lyrics were going to be, but I was making melodies up on the spot. Some lyrics were improvised, but always accompanied by a strong idea of the point that I wanted to get across. Some lyrics were written in advance, but may have changed ‘in the moment’.

Halldór: How is the music scene around you where you live? Are many artists using their voices for good, for a specific message or in protest?

Pete: In the immediate locality, there isn’t much going on as far as original music goes. There are lots of cover bands, open mic nights, and so on. I spent a while visiting open mic evenings, hoping to discover some great new music, but I didn’t hear one original song.

A lot of people would rather go out and watch someone pretending to be Meat Loaf than discover something new. It’s one of the things that contributes to the stagnation of our society – stick with the familiar, “that’s the way we’ve always done it”, “the old music was better”. There’s no mental effort required on either side of the tribute artist/audience transaction.

There are a couple of local initiatives which strive to give a voice to protest/political artists. Namely, the Erdington Arts Forum, which is run by a guy called Jobe Baker Sullivan, and the Sutton Coldfield Arts Forum, which is run by Joe Cook. They provide a platform for alternative musicians, comedians, actors, and other types of artist. I admire what they do. It must take a lot time and effort.

There is also a great venue in Birmingham town centre called Centrala, which puts on experimental acts, political artists, jazz musicians. I saw Matana Roberts and Kelly Jane Jones play an incredible show there a couple of years back.

Halldór: What about outside the music, do you partake in any activism of any sort?

Pete: I’m a homebody. I don’t really like leaving the house. It’s a big effort to go out, and I sometimes have to force myself. I have social anxiety, and often struggle to function properly in society. Crowds, noise, and bright lights can be pretty hard to deal with. Sometimes just going to the local shops to buy a loaf of bread can be challenging.

There are various causes that I believe in, and touch upon in my music. Just a few of these are veganism, mental health, homelessness, and trans rights.

I recently released an album called ‘See Me Safe’, and half of the profits from that album go to Maria McKee’s ‘See Me Safe FFS Fund’, which helps trans individuals with the costs associated with facial feminization surgery. Maria is a lovely lady with no rock star pretensions, despite the successes she’s had. The campaign takes donations via their Go Fund Me page ( https://uk.gofundme.com/f/1lu3zwtd2o ).

My most recent album lingers in political territory, sometimes overtly, like on the song where I sing about “drowning in the deep end of all the political rhetoric”, and “hollow point two party system got you hoodwinked”. On the song ‘Death After Death’, I tackle things like families being separated, as well as – “… and we’re told not to give money to the homeless, in case they spend it on alcohol or drugs or glue, we’re a nation of selfish fuckers, if I were on the streets I’d want to get out of it too”.

I can occasionally be sarcastic or biting when it comes to lyrics, but my music is made with love, and a big part of the intent is to put more love out into the world.

Halldór: What other protest or political musicians do you follow these days? What artists inspire your work?

Pete: When it comes to political music and inspiration, I guess we gravitate towards artists who share similar political leanings. You won’t find me listening to pro conservative artists. I like to keep myself informed, and study various political issues and opinions, but when it comes to music, I don’t care how great someone’s melodies are, if they’re spouting pro Trump or pro Tory rhetoric, then I’m not interested.

One of my favourite artists is Ergo Phizmiz. Discovering Ergo’s music in 2017, and subsequently getting to know them, is one of the things that made me decide to continue making music when I was at the point of giving up. Ergo is a multi-disciplinary artist who writes and directs anarcho-political stage shows, creates collage art, radio plays, operas, and is one of the most prolific and brilliant musical artists I’ve ever heard. Ergo’s music can be found here: https://composterofmusic.bandcamp.com

I’ve been a big fan of the aforementioned Maria McKee for many years, and she does so much great work for the trans community.

Some of my other current musical obsessions and inspirations (not all of them politically motivated) include Christina Schneider / Locate S1, John Coltrane, Miles Davis (specifically the ‘Live Evil’ and ‘Cellar Door Sessions’ era), Sly Stone, JPEGMAFIA, Jake Tobin’s ‘1 3 5’ album, Alessi Laurent-Marke, Zach Phillips, James Hall, and an incredible experimental / avant garde performance artist / singer / songwriter from Israel called Netta Goldhirsch, who I discovered randomly on Instagram.

Halldór: What is on the horizon for you, new music, touring, something else?

Pete: I’m always writing. Always singing into the voice recorder on my phone, or jotting down lyrics, or running to the piano to find the right notes. I’m usually carrying around several concepts / albums in my head at any given time.

I no longer perform live. I remember back in the 90’s, I would play shows to sold out rooms. People would be queueing at the door, being turned away because the venue was at capacity. When we’d start playing, people would PAY ATTENTION. In the late 2000’s, the audience was still there, and still appreciative, but I started noticing people’s attention being split by their mobile phones… taking pictures, filming, messaging, scrolling through Facebook while my bandmates and I were drenched in sweat. I took a break from live performance for a while, but when I returned (I think it was sometime around 2015), I noticed that audiences were dwindling, and promoters were, and still are, having to put 6 bands on the bill in order to break even. Even with that many bands, the audience just wasn’t there. People weren’t attending small scale gigs in the same way. I don’t know where they were… sitting at home with Netflix and Instagram? At the local enormo-venue watching Ed Sheeran?

I always perform like my life depends on it, no matter how big or small the crowd is, and I hope that energy will affect the audience in some way, but when you’re met with apathy and indifference, or when you end up playing to the bar staff and the soundman, it takes its toll. When promoting my music, I’ve often said “I hope that you either love it or hate it.” I really mean that.

I want to affect the listener, whether their reaction is positive or negative. It’s indifference that I can’t stand – “yeah, it’s ok”, “it’s pretty good” – I’d rather hear “THIS IS THE WORST MUSIC I’VE EVER HEARD IN MY LIFE” than “it’s alright, I guess…”

Halldór: Thank you very much for participating. Anything else you’d like to shout from the rooftops?

Pete: I’d like to say thank you very much for inviting me to share my thoughts, and also…

I’m an idealistic dreamer, who hopes that people will eventually tire of music that sounds like other music, and start to explore the wonderful world of current experimental music instead of commercial pop.

I also hope that people will tire of politicians who sound like other politicians, and start to explore the wonderful world of truth instead of tabloids, compassion instead of coveting, gentleness instead of greed, the pursuit of knowledge instead of the pursuit of fame and celebrity…

And…

Tradition hinders progress.

Cheers!

✊