Sam Lee Discusses Climate Crisis & Album 'Old Wow'

Mercury-prize nominee and co-founder of Music Declares Sam Lee, recently released his album Old Wow, featuring track ‘Lay This Body Down’ with guest vocals from Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins. The album features reworks of traditional folk songs, breathing new life into music unheard for centuries. As a committed climate change activist, Sam took to the streets of Westminster to busk in protest during the Extinction Rebellion march last September. He spoke to us exclusively about his growing involvement with the climate crisis. 

How does your music relate to the current climate issues we are facing globally?

 ‘My album Old Wow, is made up of a mixture of British traditional folk songs, all of which sit under this wider collective theme about our relationship to nature. The intention of the album is to draw attention to the disconnection that we have had as a species and the terrible impact caused in terms of our exploitation of the environment and the ancient connection we have had with the natural world. Although it doesn’t speak directly to climate change, the crisis is implied heavily in some songs, speaking to a time of deeper relationship, recognition and interaction with the natural world; finding a more sympathetic way of being. Emphasising how important the natural world is in a place of learning, wellbeing, wisdom and health, and all the intangible effects that come from being in close correspondence with the natural world. The folk songs are an ancient way of interacting with that, our way of expressing our love and devotion towards the natural world. In conclusion the album speaks very much about that love in all its joy and tragedy and discontent and reconnect - an enchantment to us.’

Can you give us an insight into your involvement with Music Declares? 

 ‘Music Declares Emergency was founded at the beginning of 2019 and has grown to become a voluntary organisation with a working group of about fifteen of us from different music industry backgrounds. Musicians (including Fay Milton from Savages and myself), label representatives (Warner Music and Ninja Tune) and PR teams (Loud Haler Press). We meet weekly for a couple of hours working to petition to the wider industry by signing our declaration, which means telling the truth about climate change and the ecological emergency. Declaring that, as an industry, we are to reach carbon zero by 2030 which gives us ten years to get our practises and our businesses to a point of absolutely no carbon emissions. So far, we have got a sizeable network of over 3,000 declarers including most major record labels, festivals, employers and deliverers of music. We are about to run our Music Declares Emergency 2 gathering at The Arboretum which will be open to members of the music industry wanting to gain more advice and information about reaching zero carbon emission.’  

How do you consciously contribute to the environment crisis aside from your involvement with awareness campaigns? 

‘There are many ways I have been consciously contributing to the environmental crisis besides signing my declaration. I fly as little as possible, only where absolutely necessary seeking to take trains and public transport where I can. Even if it costs more, I am willing to take that hit. In the manufacturing of my album, I was very emphatic that the CD casing was not to use any plastic - it was to be made totally out of paper. The use of CDs is one of the most environmentally beneficial ways of manufacturing music because it is a one-time hit whereas streaming is a constant energy consumer. So I encourage as many people to buy and listen to CDs as possible. I have also carbon offset all of my work entirely; particularly my air travel, through a carbon sequestration, reforesting and rewilding programme Mossy Earth, (www.mossy.earth) where you can calculate your carbon output. They translate that into working the right species of trees in the right places, looking at land that needs proper restoration. 

 I do a lot of additional personal advocacy work passing on the message of how we need to change behaviours through panelling and events. In light of this I have organised walks in association with my tours, in collaboration with Friends Of The Earth. In my last tour in January, after every other gig I had a walk the next morning with members of the public and Friends Of The Earth action groups, to display some of the beautiful bits of nature close to the venues, as well as areas that are under the threat from projects like HS2, fracking and open cast coal mining. This is still happening in the North of England and proposed coal mines seem absolutely archaic in this day and age. 

 Thirdly, I work with my organisation The Nest Collective in collaboration with Julie’s Bicycles and separately with the Royal Society Protection of Birds (the country’s second biggest charity). This collaboration runs nature immersion projects for artists, where we take artists out for 20 x 48 hour deep dives into the ecology of the land and looks at how nature can be encouraging creative practises. If people are interested in that they can contact The Nest Collective and we will send them the application process that has been funded by the Arts Council. The amplified programme is there to give opportunity to really understand what the power of nature can be for musicians and creatives, highlighting the shocking rate of decline that is happening in Great Britain; showing the rate of major depletion happening faster in the UK than any rate in Europe, being one of the top countries in the world for loss of nature and natural space.

Does your consciousness around the climate crisis affect what organisations you work/ partner with?

‘Of course, I am always looking at where my money is going, who I am investing in and is investing in me. It is a very hard one when you are not entirely sure where the funding comes from in a project, but my work with Music Declares Emergency has encouraged me enormously to act where association is happening and who I am endorsing and being endorsed by. Financially, I use ethical banks and do not have any investments in any companies that have relationships with the fossil fuel industries. 

 All of my energy is supplied by Ecotricity; my car runs on LPG rather than petrol to help improve air quality, however I cycle everywhere in London. In every way, I try to minimise my water usage as the overwhelming exploitation of water in this country is extremely overlooked. I make sure that on all my tours with the band that we eat primarily vegetarian and vegan where possible, cutting out all dairy produce. These are just ways of keeping my conscience as clear as I can, but it is not always possible. The thing to remember is that by making the decisions to put their money into a more ethical extraction of earth resources, the more that companies who have dominated through extractive measures, are able to start finding alternative means as they start to realise the customer is simply not there.’ 

How can other musicians get involved with Music Declares? 

‘We do not provide huge music event opportunities, except for in the extinction rebellion protest where we have hosted stages and had bands such as Massive Attack and Orbital perform. We are more advisorial to those musicians interested in getting involved in the movement, but the extinction rebellion website has means for artists to submit music with opportunities to play at upcoming marches, particularly the one happening in May 2020. There will be a big call out to musicians for that, so keep tapped in here. ‘

 
Sam will be releasing a book on The Nightingale: Notes on a Songbird on the 16th April 2020.