No Music On A Dead Planet Climate Support T-Shirt

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Music Declares Emergency founder Fay Milton of Savages in a new No Music On A Dead Planet t-shirt. Credit: Press There ’ s the nostalgia trip, but there is a new breed of heavy bands that have really come into their own in the last few years. MDE aims to represent all areas of the music industry irrespective of genre, role, gender, race, sexuality or status and is led by individuals united by a deep concern for the climate and ecological emergency we currently face. We recognise that the music industry, due to its unique challenges, needs its own group to drive this debate.

MDE co-founder and former Savages drummer Fay Milton, soon to launch new solo music under the name Goddess, explained to NME what set R&L apart in the fight for sustainability. We caught up with Luke to discuss his approach to designing these shirts and his wider work. The softly spoken Midland-born artist also took time to show off his latest vinyl acquisitions – including a brace of Kerbdog reissues (“I love that band, they should’ve been huge!” he enthuses) and a copy of Paradise Lost’s Draconian Times – as well as talking about the state of metal as a whole.Spotlighting the artists who have been involved, Milton pointed to Billie Eilish – who was been very vocal in the #NoMusicOnADeadPlanet campaign and will next week also return to London with her OVERHEATED climate event. Speaking to NME about the organisation’s goals in 2019, Music Declares Emergency founder and Savages’ drummer Fay Milton said: “There’s such a short period of time to make the changes we need to make, and to make people wake up and realise that there isn’t time for everyone to change everything they do. It was the afternoon of the BRIT Awards, I was recording a podcast with him expecting to hear about what outrageous suit he’d be wearing to the ceremony in London that evening. Instead, conversation turned to the existential danger posed by the climate and ecological emergency. It was exactly the type of conversation – a mix of desperate frustration and stubborn optimism – I’ve had with numerous musicians recently. Summing things up, Simon said: “Things have changed, and we need to wake up… We need to do so much more. Me and my band need to figure out ways so that we’re not contributing anything to that.” The nice thing about Festival Republic, and Reading & Leeds in particular, is that they recognise what an important role music can play in being a cultural influencer to create change,” Milton told NME. “They’re doing great stuff in terms of sustainability, but also recognising the power that they hold as a communicator. While Reid’s hardly rested on his laurels since, it’s little surprise that his design for Music Declares Emergency’s ‘No Music On A Dead Planet’ T-shirt range draws on that instantly recognisable punk aesthetic.

READ MORE: Savages’ drummer and Music Declares Emergency co-founder Fay Milton on climate change: “Music needs to get real” Whether with Radiohead, or across projects like his ongoing work for Glastonbury, the linocut graphic novel Bad Island , JG Ballard book covers or large-scale installation, his work is frequently disquieting in the best possible way. The same goes for this t-shirt design; but then again, the climate emergency is pretty unnerving.Nigel also points to other areas in which production of vinyl can be more sustainable. “There’s no proof that heavier vinyl weight affects sound quality in any way, so just changing from 200/180gm to 140gm saves on emissions,” he recommends. “We can do without shrinkwrap, or go for a longer lasting bag so it’s not single use. Make sure the card in the LP sleeves is recycled, and the pressing plants are using non-toxic inks.

The latest release is designed by Thom York of Radiohead fame and his long term artistic collaborator Stanley Donwood . The pair met at Exeter University’s art school, and first worked together in 1994 when Donwood worked on the single My Iron Lung from that same year, and created the cover for 1995 album The Bends. He’s gone on to work on designs for the band’s album ever since, as well as Yorke’s solo projects, inclidong Atoms for Peace. I started doing illustration and art from a very young age and most artists will probably say that. When I left school I played guitar and I always wanted to be in a band. I think it’s a common theme among artists, they play an instrument as well. I was in lots of really shitty bands and I realised that being in a band was really hard. I always did artwork, for friend’s bands and stuff. Music can do a lot of things. According to Madonna, it makes the people come together ; for Missy Elliot it makes you lose control ; for Julie Andrews, it’s the very thing that makes the hills alive . ABBA? They’re just bloody grateful for it. And as Hot Chip’ synth botherer Joe Goddard would have it, music is the answer . But the question on everyone’s lips, possibly, is: can music and the music industry “drive forward public understanding of the climate emergency and pressure governments to take immediate action on climate and biodiversity loss?”

The series launched with a design from letterpress megadude Anthony Burrill, and brought his bold letterforms to life beautifully in stark monochrome. His tees were followed by designs from Jamie Reid. I’m no expert on this stuff, but obviously Fay and Nigel know an awful lot about it. But on a personal level, I’m a father and I have two daughters. Before having kids I was probably oblivious to a lot and I didn’t think about much that went on, drifting through life like a typical 20-something-year-old. But having my children made me view the world differently – as cheesy as that sounds. When they asked me to do the work on this, I thought, ‘Finally, I can work on something that contributes to something that matters.’

We worked with them to help bring the festival into the No Music On A Dead Planet global campaign, which aims to bring all artists and fans together with a shared voice for climate action. “We’re also bringing our Fan Club For Climate campaign to Reading & Leeds this year, alongside Climate Live. It’s a community of music lovers who care about the future of the planet and want more people involved.” This even extends to retailers. Some record stores, whose livelihoods largely depend on the sale of traditional vinyl, are being proactive. Norman Records, based in Leeds, has published advice for shoppers encouraging them to think more sustainably. That even includes buying less vinyl and embracing vinyl’s cyclical “resale and reuse” culture, as well as giving the option for customer’s to convert their loyalty points into credits that support plastic offsetting measures.

Ultimately, Milton said that her dream was for “the music industry as a whole to really take a moment to take on board the real world situation that we’re in”. Charity Music Declares Emergency blummin’ hopes so. The organisation was founded in July last year by music business executives and artists to forge a cohesive, industry wide response to the climate emergency—their declaration of a Climate and Ecological Emergency has over 3,500 signatures now. That document calls for net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and pledges music industry action on environmental sustainability. For more information on the Music Declares Emergency Turn Up The Volume campaign and this week’s events visit here. Launched in July 2019, Music Declares Emergency is an independent charity with no party political or commercial affiliations. We believe in the power of music to promote the necessary cultural changes to create a greener, fairer, better future. Music Declares Emergency describe themselves as “a group of artists, music industry professionals and organisations that stand together to declare a climate and ecological emergency and call for an immediate governmental response to protect all life on Earth.”