Just launched: Thirty Days of Yes – A Mixtape for Marriage Equality

October 6th 2017

 

 Driving the ‘Yes’ message and showing support for the LGBTQI+ community, ‘Thirty Days of Yes’ is a subscription mixtape that will release a song a day over 30 days.

Developed in response to the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey, the project brings together a bunch of incredible artists including Beaches, Body Type, Cub Sport, Courtney Barnett, DARTS, Fortunes., Hockey Dad, Jen Cloher, Jess Ribeiro, Laura Jean, Leah Senior, Lucianblomkamp, Marcus Whale, Oisima, Rainbow Chan, Shining Bird, Sui Zhen, The Murlocs, Terry, Twerps, Two Steps on the Water, and more to be revealed.

Thirty Days of Yes is available to purchase for $15 with an option to pay more from Bandcamp. 100% of the profits will go to LGBTQI+ youth organisations, Minus18 and Twenty10.

Our Music Director Amelia Jenner had a chat with Meg Williams and Gab Ryan, the organisers behind the project.
 

100% of the profits will go to LGBTQI+ youth organisations, Minus18 and Twenty10 – Can you tell us a little more about both of these organisations?

Minus18 is a youth driven organisation for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer youth, they provide safe spaces to foster social connection and education opportunities and workshops. It’s based in Victoria and is also run by young people which we find super impressive with everything that they are doing. Young people empowering young people!

Twenty10 is based in New South Wales, working with young people and adults with the mission to engage, empower and improve the lives of people of diverse genders, sexualities and intersex status (LGBTIQA+). Of their services, they provide housing, mental health, counselling and social support programs.
 

The compilation will feature tracks by an amazing range of artists. Are all tracks previously unheard and unreleased? Are their reworkings, remixes, covers on there as well? Any secrets you can let us in on?

We are incredibly blown away by the support and the number of Australian and New Zealand (!) artists that wanted to be involved. We played the full mixtape out earlier in the week and there’s such an incredible diversity in genres but they all work so well together. There are a number of artists that are writing and recording unique songs for the campaign, a few songs from recent album sessions – like, Twerps was a ‘spare’ but it’s such a great song I can’t believe that it was available for us. There are also some amazing covers and duets – so it’s going to be thirty days of YASS when each track is revealed!
 

There is a long road ahead of us to make sure we achieve marriage equality in Australia. What are your plans for the future of 30 Days of Yes? A launch party perhaps?!

At this stage, our number one priority is promoting the Yes message and trying to show support to those who might be affected by this public debate, that the music industry is standing by their side. But a launch party…. that sounds like fun!

 

The first two tracks have just been released.  #1 is from Melbourne guitar pop champions Twerps, with their song ‘It’s Time’. Recorded during the band’s sessions for their 2015 album Range Anxiety,  ex-bassist Rick Milovanovic had this to say:

“It’s Time was written in 2013 during the rise of the Abbott era. The song was a reminder to him and his party that they would not be speaking on behalf of all straight Australians. Most importantly, it was also a message of support to the LGBTQI+ community, that a lot of straight Australians would be right by their side in the fight for equality in this country.”

 

Today’s release comes courtesy of melancholic Bendigo five piece DARTS. Tune into Arvos with Grace & Al today as ‘Damaskus II’ gets its first play. Of their contribution to Thirty Days Of Yes, the band had this to say:

“Damaskus II was written about a friend of mine who would always show up and make sure I was okay during a really rough time. We want to submit this song to support the yes vote, which is something important to all of us and will hopefully bring a little more happiness into the world.”

 

Thirty Days of Yes is available to purchase for $15 with an option to pay more from Bandcamp. 100% of the profits will go to LGBTQI+ youth organisations, Minus18 and Twenty10.

 

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