Phil Elverum, the creative force behind Mount Eerie, has just dropped a fresh track titled “& Sun (Early).” It’s part of a compilation aimed at supporting two significant causes: the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) and Palestine Legal. All the money raised from this song goes directly to these charities. Isn’t that something? A gesture that speaks volumes, blending art with activism.
The compilation, dubbed Merciless Accelerating Rhythms – Artists United for a Free Palestine, is a treasure trove. It’s been put together by the Brooklyn-based label HateToQuit and the artist known as Hiding Places. And guess what? The Mount Eerie song? It’s sitting pretty at track three. A spot it rightly deserves, nestled among contributions from Little Wings, John Andrews & the Yawns, and Jason Evans Groth of Magnolia Electric Co., to name just a few.
In a press release that feels more like a rallying cry, HateToQuit and Hiding Places shared a poem by June Jordan. It goes a little something like this: “I plan to blossom bloody on an afternoon surrounded by my comrades singing terrible revenge in merciless accelerating rhythms.” Powerful, right? It’s a call to arms, a poetic embrace of solidarity and action.
These organizers, they’re not just throwing words into the wind. They’re standing up, echoing the sentiments of June Jordan, an anti-apartheid powerhouse. Their message? Retaliation through a kaleidoscope of tactics – mutual aid, solidarity with Palestine, direct action when needed, and an unwavering demand for an end to the Israeli Occupation Force. A Free Palestine, they say, is the only way forward towards a liberated world. As artists, they see their role as one of radical care, funneling any possible aid to those facing the unthinkable in Palestine and supporting the frontline organizers.
Oh, and before I forget, there was this piece from 2019, “Mount Eerie’s Phil Elverum Starts Over, Again.” It’s a reminder of the cyclical nature of life and art, how beginnings can be found in endings and vice versa. A fitting thought to ponder as we consider the impact of songs like “& Sun (Early)” and the compilations they inhabit.
