In our recent interview with Nick Mulvey who joined the ranks of Cambridge Folk Festival’s Guest Curators this year, he touched on the environment several times. He spoke passionately about the international speaker, writer and change-maker Mac Macartney: “Mac has this real wisdom. He talked about the ‘awakening of the sleeping giant’ and the sleeping giant would be the millions of good people who would do nothing in this time, who care but are not moved enough to act. He calls for a radical response through kindness, presence and all of us really asking ourselves, ‘What is of true worth?'”
That passion carries forward on the latest announcement that together with Cornwall’s Sharp’s Brewery, Nick is bringing focus to the protection of our coastlines, plastic pollution and the push to reduce single plastic usage. The Cornish Brewery and Mercury Music Prize nominee have released the first track pressed onto a record made from recycled plastic (image above), which has been washed up on Cornish beaches.
Sharp’s Brewery and Nick Mulvey announced the first of its kind collaboration with the launch of the track, titled ‘In the Anthropocene’. Mulvey explained, ‘Lyrically the song explores themes of responsibility and freedom in this time of urgent ecological and social crisis (and opportunity), aka ‘the Anthropocene’.
Proceeds from the track, including from sales of the limited-edition record pressed onto recycled plastic and digital streams*, will go to Surfers Against Sewage to help protect British coastlines from pollution, including plastic waste.
The launch of this innovative new ‘ocean vinyl’ comes after last year’s signing of ‘Keynvor’, the musical artist’s name given to the Atlantic Ocean, by Universal Music.
The music industry is challenged with sustainability issues, from tackling single-use plastic cups at gig venues to unsustainable vinyl production practices. The new campaign from Sharp’s Brewery and the first playable track made from recycled ocean plastic collected from the Cornish coast aims to give music lovers the chance to own something that’s made out of ‘single-use’ plastic, that they’ll treasure forever.
James Nicholls, Marketing Controller at Sharp’s Brewery: ‘Cornish culture is built around the ocean – whether that’s seafood, surfing or even our own Atlantic Ale. Last year, we helped the ocean enter the charts, under Keynvor – which means ‘Ocean’ in the Cornish language. I’m excited to say that today we’re really turning the tables on the music industry by releasing ‘In the Anthropocene’, with Nick Mulvey –by upcycling single-use plastic found on our beaches and turning it into playable ‘ocean vinyl’.
Nick Mulvey, Musician/activist: ‘I’ve always loved the wildness of the Cornish coast and it feeds something deep in me every time I’m there. My music is about knowing who – or what – we are, right at the core. Aliveness itself, conscious. These times of urgent global crisis are demanding we re-examine ourselves and the world and raise ourselves to match the Earth, this wonder-organism from which we are not, and never have been, separate.’
Hugo Tagholm, CEO of Surfers Against Sewage: ‘We are excited to be partnering with Sharp’s Brewery again to raise vital funds to protect our coastlines from plastic pollution and other environmental hazards. Keynvor, as a musical artist, and the new ‘ocean vinyl’, which uses plastic pollution and turns it into something positive, is a powerful way to help us raise money and continue to spread our message.’
To purchase Nick Mulvey’s In the Anthropocene, visit Drift Records in store, or online at driftrecords.com, to pick up a unique limited-edition record with exclusive edits of the tracks, or stream the full tracks on digital platforms, including Spotify and Apple music. The proceeds go to Surfers Against Sewage, to protect the ocean.
*Streams are available for download from Spotify and Apple Music.