Artists for Action are an international folk supergroup consisting of 16 artists from six countries on four continents who have come together to raise their voices against the rise of the far right. The artists, in alphabetical order, are Black Umfolosi (Zimbabwe), Ray Bonneville (Canada), Bruce Cockburn (Canada), Guy Davis (USA), Ani DiFranco (USA), Maria Dunn (Canada), Bob Jensen (Canada), James Keelaghan (Canada), Lucy MacNeil (Canada), Tony McManus (Scotland), Moulettes (England), Oysterband (England), Richard Perso (Australia), Heather Rankin (Canada), Martin Simpson (England) and Jon Weaver (Canada).
They have released “Which Side Are You On?” The song was originally penned as a union song by Florence Reece in 1931; Artists for Action’s version takes aim at the rise of far-right politics and the resurgence of fascism around the globe, the most glaring example of which is Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine.
“When I look around at what is happening in America, in Ukraine, when I see the erosion of women’s rights and the legitimacy of elections being questioned, it concerns me greatly,” says Atlantic Canadian songwriter and poet Bob Jensen, who produced the project.
Bob told us: “I read Woody Guthrie’s autobiography when I was 15 and never quite saw the world the same way again. Over the years I have had the privilege of working with people like Pete Seeger, Bruce Cockburn, Johnny Clegg and Dick Gaughan as an agent, and got to see firsthand the power of song. It is in the grand old tradition of Seeger and Guthrie that we recorded this song, and our goal is that the message will reach an audience around the globe, as we are sending the song to radio in 30 countries. The hope is that people will not only think about which side they are on, but also about what they can do about it. I believe that every voice counts and that raising our voices has never been more important than it is right now. The hard shift to the right around the world is impacting democracy, the environment, women’s rights and is responsible for the proliferation of hate groups. This, as they say, is not a drill.”
The primary goal of this project is the message, as opposed to it being a fundraiser. However, the song will generate revenue, all of which will be donated to a registered charity in aid of Ukraine.
The artists are not being paid for this work and have covered their own recording costs. Additional hard costs have been covered by anonymous donors, and the video for this song was produced on a budget of $0.00. The video was edited by Isaac Williams of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island and produced by Bob Jensen.
Which Side Are You On is a powerful song, but in the collective hands of Artists for Action, the urgency of that message is multiplied; the message has never been clearer. It is also our Song of the Day.
‘Which Side Are You On‘ is released this Friday, 23rd September, on CDBaby and will be available on various retail platforms soon after.
In addition to the artists who participated in the recording of the song, artists and various other people from all over the world contributed short video clips of themselves holding up signs saying, “Which side are you on?” This was done to emphasise how the message of the song is an international one, and that whether you live in Tasmania, Chile or Ukraine, what is happening around the world are issues that affect you. In addition to artists, these cameos were supplied by a scientist, a retired construction worker, a long-time political activist and other concerned citizens.