On the unceded, ancestral territory of the Lheidli T’enneh lives a 41-year-old singer-songwriter. She is queer, she is disabled, she’s a mother and she has a dog with a special name (we’ll get to that later). Her name is Amy Blanding, and until recently she worked as a Director of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility at the Northern Health Authority (“NHA”) in British Columbia, Canada.
After performing her song, Sunbirds, back in April of 2024, while wearing a t-shirt with a watermelon image on it, some members of her community sent a complaint to her employers urging them to take action against her.
Shortly after, Amy was removed from her potition at the NHA. Instead of letting her oppressors break her, Amy went into the studio to record her song, and with its release she started gathering funds for a pro-peace, non-profit organisation as well as raising awareness about the cause of the Palestinian people and all people suffering from the conflicts and terrors brought onto them by arms manufacturers and warmongering politicians around the world.
In short, Amy is fighting back. And she was kind enough to take the time to tell us her story.
Halldór Kristínarson: Thank you for participating and being open to answering a few questions. First off, for those out there who are not familiar, can you tell us a little bit about your background, and how you got into creating music?
Amy Blanding: I was born in the four corners region of Navajo, Hopi, Ute, and Zuni territory (Colorado, USA) and raised on the red shores of Epekwitk – Mi’kmaq territory (PEI, Canada). I am a white, disabled, queer woman, mother, equity specialist, and musician. I grew up singing in choirs, playing trumpet in band, and exposed to music through my parents. Music was always a part of my life, but it didn‘t become something I pursued professionally until I moved to Lheidli T‘enneh/Prince George (in British Columbia, Canada) where I now live. I co-founded a band called Black Spruce Bog and got my first exposure to touring, recording, playing shows, and eventually writing my own music and singing lead. When that band broke up, I set out on my own to continue evolving my sound and my voice. So in music industry terms, I‘m late to the game (I‘m 41 years old now). But I love it, I feel like my music holds a depth of experience and context that could only have been curated over time.
HK: Has your music always been conscious, or political? Some people say that music and activism should be separated, others believe the two are inseperable as the ought to be. What is your take on this? I can only imagine you have slightly more direct, very impactful take on this theme in light of recently being fired from your job due to you performing a song in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
AB: I write music about what I see around me, what I witness, and what I feel utterly compelled to speak out about. My music is personal and absolutely political – it has always addressed the world that I live in and the stories of the people I meet. I do see art and activism as being inextricably linked. The post racial reckoning, pandemic year of 2020 was a turning point for my music though. I gave birth to my son and I had to decide what my legacy was going to be with this platform my privilege had afforded me. If I was going to take up space in the music world, I knew I had to use it as a catalyst to move us closer to collective liberation. I owe that to my son.
HK: Can you also tell us a bit more about how that happened, the termination of your work because of a song/performance? The job you had sounds very inclusive and justice-minded, can you explain how such a workplace would fire someone for simply singing a song in solidarity with oppressed people? For an outsider looking in, it sounds baffling.
AB: As an insider looking in, it‘s still baffling! Last April I played a song I wrote called Sunbirds at a community concert – the song is about the genocide in Palestine. I also wore a watermelon shirt from wearthepeace.com at the concert‘s dress rehearsal. A group of local Zionists wrote a defamatory and factually incorrect letter to my employer claiming that my actions were Anti-Semitic, Pro-Hamas, jihadist, bigoted, etc. This letter was taken at face-value with no due process or inquiry, and I was removed from my role as Director of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility at the Northern Health Authority. This amounts to defamation, a wrongful dismissal, and a violation of my right to freedom of expression in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. I have filed two lawsuits, against my former employer and the community members, and we will likely be going to trial in early 2026. You can watch the press conference here.
HK: After being fired for singing your song, you didn‘t let that break you, but instead you pushed onwards and went straight into the recording studio. Can you tell me what fueled you, what gave you strength to fight back and take something as negative as being fired for your art and turning it into a song release with benefits going to aid for Gaza?
AB: The ultimate aim of facsism, imperialism, capitalism, Zionism, all systems of oppression is to stifle our voices, and either wear us out or scare us into staying silent. If the goal of these systems and institutions is to silence the voices of the people, then the best way to retaliate is to deny them that.
I was told that Sunbirds was too political to sing. And then when I sang it I lost my job. I‘m regularly harrassed online and in-person by Zionists. I‘m told by friends and acquaintences that I should settle with Northern Health, take the money and move on. But this is how harmful people continue to hold power, and oppressive cycles remain unbroken. So instead, I decided to not only record and release Sunbirds, but to use it as a fundraiser for the very organization whose watermelon shirt got me in trouble in the first place, an organization sending humanitarian aid directly to Gaza. The song has gone viral now – people are talking about what happened to me and vocalizing their outrage that our Charter rights can be so easily undermined. Sunbirds is a catalyst for change, and I feel incredibly grateful to be a part of the movement.
HK: What inspires you to write a lyric or a melody? These are turbulent times and I can only imagine there is a lot happening that is fuelling your creative spirits? Are there certain issues that your more passionate about than others?
AB: I am always listening for a word or a statement that captures what I am feeling or seeing in the world in a new and unique way. I am a storyteller, a seeker of beauty and a reflection of the humanity all around me. Always with the goal of collective liberation. Musically and sonically I am inspired by other artists, by the land I live on, and just jamming out with my friends on my mandolin!
HK: What musicians, activists, or people in general, have inspired you and your music career? And how does the protest music scene look like in your neck of the woods? Are there a lot of artists in your area using their voice for good? Any music recommendations you‘d like to throw our way?
AB: I stand on the shoulders of so many giants. I‘ve recently felt in great community with fellow outspoken healthcare leaders like Vash Ebbadi-Cook, Dr. Yipeng Ge, Dr. Deidre Nunan, and Sean Tucker; I am continuously learning from Catherine Frazee, Bisan Owda, Kelly Hayes, Mariame Kaba, Francesca Albanese, Harsha Walia, Alice Wong, Adrienne Maree Brown, the Wet‘suwet‘en Land Defenders, and the Comrades from Independent Jewish Voices (IJV), Jewish Voices for Peace (JVP), Migrant Rights Network, and Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ). I‘m inspired by the music of Sinead O‘Connor, Billy Bragg, Allison Russell, The Tragically Hip. And you absolutely have to check out Kym Gouchie, Rachelle Van Zanten, Sam Tudor, Ride-by-Night, Chloe Davidson, Rae Spoon, Tanya Tagaq, Nemahsis, Kaia Kater – there are so many great musicians doing good work in Canada. I wish there were more artists speaking out, but those that are inspire me daily.
HK: What is next on the horizon for you? Musically or activism wise? Can we expect a new album soon?
AB: BDS all day every day! It‘s working, we must keep talking about Palestine (and Sudan, and the Congo).
I will be in Afterlife Studio (Vancouver) in June to record my next album. My hope is to have that record out by the end of the summer. I‘ll be touring and playing music festivals all spring and summer. I‘d love to tour in Iceland, so hit me up if you know how to make that happen!
I‘m also focusing energy on curating spaces for art to happen that are accessible, slow, and deliberately, consciously designed in a different way than the industry standard. If we are to truly move toward collective liberation, we need to guarantee that all voices and perspectives are present and contributing to that vision. Art spaces need disabled voices, older voices, Indigenous voices. I see my job as helping to curate these spaces and removing access barriers to get the right people in the door or on the stage.
HK: Finally, in an Instagram post, where you thank your fans and people around the world for supporting the release of Sunbirds, you‘re accompanied by a very handsome furry guy, named Seeger. I think the Shouts audience would very much like to confirm where that name comes from.
AB: This may be my favorite interview question of all time! Seeger is my amazing rescue dog. She came to me 6 days after the death of protest folk legend Peter Seeger. I grew up listening to Pete Seeger‘s music, and my Dad (also a musician) actually shared the stage with him once. They even wrote a couple letters back and forth. Pete is an icon so it was only fitting that I name my best girl after him.
HK: Thank you so much for participating. Anything else you‘d like to shout from the rooftops?
AB: Thanks so much for the chance to share some of my story! Feel free to reach out, I love connecting with Comrades across the globe. Solidarity!
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