Two iconic names in music, David Byrne and Devo, have shared an unreleased collaborative track called “Empire,” which the artists had written for Byrne’s fifth solo album in 1997, ‘Feelings.’ The song did not make it on the final album but rather later appeared on Byrne’s 2004 record. The track is an “ironic capitalist fascist” anthem that, at the time, Byrne found “too mean and caustic for release.” Featuring Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale, the song will now feature on the charity compilation ‘Noise For Now, Vol. 2,’ to support independent abortion providers in the US.
Byrne and Devo have a three-decade-old partnership, and their collaboration resonates now in ways it may not have in the past. The charity collection is set to be released on June 21, commemorating the two-year anniversary of when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade. Other musicians who have contributed to the project include Faye Webster, The War On Drugs, and Courtney Barnett.
The nonprofit Noise For Now connects grassroots organizations working in the area of reproductive justice, including abortion access, with touring musicians, progressive promoters, athletes, and artists to promote financial support. Devo represents the efforts to keep abortion as a human right, and the duo salutes Noise For Now for their support of such initiatives.
Byrne and Devo’s ‘Empire’ was available for just 24 hours last October as part of the ‘Good Music To Ensure Safe Abortion Access To All’ benefit album. Contrarily, the past month saw the release of ‘Everyone’s Getting Involved,’ a tribute album to Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense featuring covers by Miley Cyrus, Paramore, and Lorde, among others.
Meanwhile, rumors of a Talking Heads reunion have surfaced as Talking Heads drummer Chris Frantz teased on social media, sparking the hopes of many fans
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