Playlists for Earth Campaign Features Brian Eno, alt-J, Anna Calvi, Coldplay, Hot Chip, and More
Artists Put Together Playlists In Support of Solving Climate Change; Under the Radar Took Part Too
Apr 15, 2021 By Mark Moody
Yesterday, U.K.-based environmental charity ClientEarth launched the Playlists For Earth campaign. The initiative seeks to bring awareness and activism around the need for support in the global battle over the climate crisis. More than 60 artists, record labels, publications and other creatives have submitted playlists in support of the cause, including Under the Radar. Artists ranging from Brian Eno, Anna Calvi, to Squid, Coldplay, and Hot Chip, along with record labels, such as Cooking Vinyl, and the Outside Lands and End of the Road music festivals, are participating. The playlists' (labeled #PlaylistsForEarth on Spotify and housed under the ClientEarth profile) song titles, when read in succession, contain messages in support of healing the planet.
In addition to over 60 other playlists, Under the Radar has curated its own playlist in support of Playlists For Earth. Our playlist, curated by Mark Moody (that's me), can be found below and pulls from classic indie and alternative artists, as well as other more widely known artists. Some of the songs, such as Big Thief's "Not" and Talking Heads' "Nothing (But Flowers)" even speak to the need for climate change. Many other artist playlists have already been revealed and others will go live on Spotify using the #PlaylistsForEarth tag. The selected song titles for Under the Radar's playlist read as follows (see the playlist below for the artists that perform these songs):
In the Beginning / Sun It Rises / All the Land Glimmered / (Nothing But) Flowers / So It Goes / Nature Without Man / What We Discovered / Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground / Alone Again Or / Not / Don't Look Now / Things Have Changed / Man Walks Among Us / Ducking and Dodging / Drilling / Pollution/Disclaimer / Stop! In The Name Of Love / Don't Be Denied / Paradise
The campaign is well-timed given the upcoming 26th UN Climate Change conference (COP26), to be held in Glasgow this November. Playlists For Earth is intended to first get the ear of fans (Coldplay's playlist already has over 3,000 followers) and to ultimately put pressure on global political leaders in attendance at the conference to bring about real change.
Per Anna Calvi: "We should be talking about the climate crisis now more than ever, and taking action to protect the planet we love. We need to see a massive cultural change and an immediate government response. That's why I wanted to be a part of Playlists For Earth, to spark conversation and explore what's happening in the world in a new way in the lead up to the UN climate conference. It's so important that we use our position in the arts to say something, as art really has the power to turn people's attention to issues."
This Earth Day, Under the Radar is proud to stand in support of, and to have been included in, the Playlists For Earth campaign. It seems a small part of a large and complex problem, but ultimately it takes the collective voice of the citizens of many nations to bring about change on a global scale. Check out the Client Earth playlist grouping here and the campaign website is here.
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