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Artist News Releases
Sleigh Bells’ Alexis Krauss releases protest song against drilling in US national parks
By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 1 February 2018
Sleigh Bells’ Alexis Krauss has released a solo single protesting US President Donald Trump’s decision to reduce the size of two national parks – Bears Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase Escalante Monument, both in Utah – in order to allow drilling for oil and gas on the land.
Released as Alexis Krauss And The Our Land Collective, the track ‘Our Land’ also features contributions from Karen O, Maggie Rogers, Edward Sharpe, Sunflower Bean, documentary maker Josh Fox, rock climber Renan Ozturk, and more.
“Inspired by my love of wild spaces and in response to President Trump’s assault on our national monuments, I wrote ‘Our Land’ as a protest song”, says Krauss. “The song led to a collaborative recording session and quickly developed into a film project, in partnership with professional photographer/producer Chris Vultaggio. Chris and I set out for Utah in efforts to expand the project and tell the story of Bears Ears and its people”.
She continues: “From deep canyons to towering mesas we were captivated by the overwhelming beauty of these threatened lands. However, the struggle is about more than just protecting breathtaking views, it is about respecting and conserving thousands of years of Native American history and culture. These lands are sacred not just because they are rich in archaeological heritage, but because they are a living breathing landscape actively relied upon as a source for sustaining a way of life: food harvesting, medicine gathering, grazing, wood hauling, spiritual healing, and communing with ancestry”.
Turning to the decision to reduce the areas of land protected, she concludes: “The current administration sees fit to trade these lands for resource extraction. Native communities are contending with yet another threat, not only to their lands but to their health, well-being, and way of life. This is but one more humiliation to bear by an already beleaguered people, sadly all too familiar with systemic abuse and institutionalised exploitation. We’ve joined this cause to support those on the front lines of this fight and to amplify the millions of dissenting voices that are already shouting to be heard”.
Listen to ‘Our Land’ here:
