Sandi Thom offers a urgent rallying cry with her new single and lyric video Revolution Anthem (Festival of the Oppressed) — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
The Scottish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist’s latest release is a product of recent geo-political turmoil — an anthem for those struggling under unjust systems, sick of the way the world treats them. The single has clearly struck a chord in these tough political times, and with elections looming this year Thom is eager to discussing the global and local situation.
In this age of cancel culture, standing up and speaking out is a risk, but in a world where genocide is being normalised, Thom feels it’s vital for artists and celebrities to engage with geo-politics. “As songwriters and artists, we have the opportunity to be a mouthpiece for the vox populi,” explains Thom. With societies across the world seemingly reaching a boiling point, where marginalised and oppressed communities are being silenced, Sandi is daring to use her platform to call for change, and speak truth to power. “Nothing will change if we do not take a stand and raise our voices together. There is, after all, power in our voice.”
Revolution Anthem (Festival of the Oppressed) is a song for our times. Harking back as far as the French Revolution, it also refers to the Russia/Ukraine war, Brexit and Covid, while directly calling out world leaders. The stripped back folk-rock song is something you can imagine being sung at marches and rallies for years to come with lyrics such as: “It’s time for a change, raise your voice to the air, time for a change, revolution is here.”
Layering its tribal sounding drums and percussion with a simple acoustic guitar, we are drawn to Thom’s powerful voice, once again using vocal harmonies to create a unique sound, and highlighting the incredibly urgent lyrics. The result is a rousing single that calls back to the classic protest songs of the counterculture; artists including Rage Against The Machine, Tracy Chapman and Gossip; like all the best protest songs, it is powerfully anthemic.
“Once again, we stand at a tipping point for our society, not just here in the U.K., but the world. The dawn of revolution seems imminent. We are ‘down-out, down-beat and down-trodden.’ And it “has to be time for a change,” states Thom.
Thom first came to prominence in the two decades ago as one of the first artists to pioneer a streamed tour, performing broadcasts from her Tooting home. The online concerts made headlines at the time with Thom’s shows beginning with 60 viewers before exploding into an excess of 100,000, landing her a major-label deal. The artist then released her 2006 single I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair) which topped charts across the U.K. and Ireland, and remained at No.1 in Australia for 10 consecutive weeks.
Watch the video for Revolution Anthem (Festival of the Oppressed) above, hear more from Sandi Thom below, and follow her into battle on her Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
