Kevin Bronson on July 3rd, 2020

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“Revolution” is the first new music since 2015 from Austin’s Heartless Bastards since 2015, a rousing six-minute sermon from Erika Wennerstrom that covers a lot of ground and sounds particularly salient in what often feels like the end times.

Here’s what Wennerstrom has to say about it:

“Revolution is about self-love. I think if people loved themselves more there wouldn’t be racism, bigotry and classism. Some people are so worried that there is not enough pie to go around, and that lifting up others limits their own opportunity. There is mass misinformation and manipulation to peddle this narrative. Money, materialism, privileged access to better education are things people constantly measure themselves with. The need to feel better than someone in order to feel good about oneself is an age-old insecurity. I think there’s fear there, too. So many struggle to get ahead because they’re afraid of getting left behind. The planet really can’t sustain everyone having more. Everything is made to fall apart like cars, and $1,100 cell phones. I think humanity needs to learn how to have less, and not play into the commercialism that constantly sends the message we lack things that we don’t really need.

“Revolution is a mantra, and reminder to myself to avoid playing the game as much as I can. I don’t need this, and I don’t need that. I don’t need to compare myself to others. This marathon everybody is running is exhausting. There is so much true suffering in this world with a lack of food, shelter and basic running water, and if you suffer depression and anxiety remind yourself of that, and try to possibly be of service to someone in need, and not even necessarily with writing a check, but with even something as simple as kind energy, and compassion. True connection. The more man attempts to look at the world from another man’s perspective it becomes apparent how connected we all really are. Dave Chapelle said at a show years ago ‘Poverty is a state of mind.’ That really stuck with me. I was in the Amazon several years ago, and it struck me how little people had materially, and children were running around and they all seemed so happy. Aside from the basic necessities of sustaining our lives, I think giving and receiving love is really what we need the most. All the rest is just a bunch of noise.”

A portion of the proceeds from sales on Bandcamp (which is waiving its share of revenue today) goes to the ACLU.

||| Stream: “Revolution”