David Byrne and DEVO join forces on “Empire”, a new song to be featured on NOISE FOR NOW‘s upcoming benefit compilation supporting abortion access.
The song was initially written when the Talking Heads frontman collaborated with DEVO on his a solo album he released in 1997.
“Years ago, I did a record called Feelings in which I collaborated with different musicians on the songs,” Byrne said. “I worked with members of DEVO on 2 songs, one of which is on the album. The other one, ‘Empire’, is an ironic capitalist fascist anthem and, at the time, I thought our version was just too mean and caustic for release. Well, times change, and it certainly resonates now in ways it maybe didn’t then. It was a joy to work with the DEVO guys, they knew exactly what the song is about.”
“We were on board working with the dark satire of David Byrne’s ‘Empire’ over 30 years ago. The song was prescient and we got it. Now it can be heard!” added DEVO’s Gerald Casale. “Unfortunately the forces of tyranny are striking with impunity now. These bad actors are not Pro-Life so much as they are Anti-Choice. They want women to live in a real life version of The Handmaid’s Tale. But there’s more of us who respect human rights than those who want to crush those rights. Freedom of Choice is a constant fight. DEVO salutes NOISE FOR NOW for their efforts to save a woman’s right to abortion.”
Listen to “Empire” by David Byrne and DEVO below.
The song is set to appear on NOISE FOR NOW VOL. 2 alongside exclusive versions of tracks by Faye Webster, The War On Drugs, Courtney Barnett, MC50 ft. Arrow De Wilde, Big Freedia, and more. The compilation album is the latest in nonprofit organization NOISE FOR NOW’s series, which enables artists and entertainers to connect with and financially support grassroots organizations that work in the field of Reproductive Justice including abortion access. The album will be available on vinyl at local record stores and digitally across all streaming platforms, with proceeds benefiting independent abortion providers throughout the nation via Keep Our Clinics. Pre-save/pre-order the album here, and click below to view the full album tracklist.
David Byrne & DEVO – “Empire”
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