It’s springtime in Texas, and everything seems possible.
For the first time in several years, we mostly sat out SXSW, though we’ll probably to be back next year – the only SW-related performance was a live soundtrack to some footage shot by Scottish filmmaker David Mackenzie on the remote island of Tristan da Cunha last year.
We’ve just started work on a new and very different album, about which we’ll have some major news soon.
Available for preorder now at your friendly local record shop, on your favorite internet music service, and/or at our Bandcamp page.
What baffles me most about whatever Republicans are becoming is their shameless embrace of cruelty toward other human beings as a good, the subjugation of others to their will as adherence to a divine plan. We've heard that line before in this country, and it didn't end well.
But even beyond that, what happiness will these ghoulish, empty victories actually bring them, in the dull, concrete moments of their actual lives? (JM)
Fear-based control, without it they’d be nothing.
Power. Power over women, power over minorities, the power to choose gun rights over children's safety. A love of violence and a hatred of the feminine power. Aaron Sorkin was right (though he was referring to the 'Tea Party' who it could be argued have successfully overrun the GOP), the Republicans are the American Taliban. Aaron tempered that association by asserting that view as reductive, but it is so only because of the power of those who stand opposed. If they weren't opposed, they would do as they will. And they would not stop. We have these charlatans of humanity in my country as well. Here they call themselves One Nation and Liberals, it's a sick and sad irony that they are anything but liberal.
Impunity, power, money, control, orthodoxy, enforcement of ideology, reaffirmation of identity, patriarchal hegemony — there’s infinite happiness to be found in the foundry of the Republican shithole, and y’all best be vigilant and clear-eyed.
“Ghoulish, empty victories” is pretty much indicative of British politics for the last 12 years Jonathan…we feel your pain…
Power. It gives them the illusion of power.
It's not about happiness for them - it's about power
This was my central question as well. What do they stand to gain? 😞
Not my answer, but one from an NPR interview today. BRYANT: I would say first you need to kneel and pray to God, who is the God of everyone, that in your heart, you can understand that that is a living human being. And so try as you might to find God in this. Try to pray and have him open your eyes and come into your heart and realize this is your child. This is a human being who has the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And you're about to take all that away for your convenience. Pray. That's what I would tell them. Pray hard. KELLY: When you say women are choosing an abortion because it is for their convenience, I just want to push you on that, because there are a lot of women who would say, this is not about my convenience. This is not a choice anyone wants to make. This is about my right to control my body. BRYANT: And I would tell men and women that you have a responsibility. We all did, and all of us are - fall short of the grace of God. But please consider your responsibilities. And, men, take the responsibility of being the father. So we don't want to wish - we're not hardhearted. We understand these difficult situations. It's why we work so hard here to make adoption easier for families who can't have children and families who want desperately to have a child. So look. I'm not mad at anyone. I'm not judging anyone. I am just saying that the Supreme Court upheld a law today that said that the states have the right to regulate abortions and that we will continue to do that within the confines of the Constitution of the United States laws. KELLY: Phil Bryant. He was the governor of Mississippi from 2012 to 2020. Governor Bryant, thank you.
Update: Huge thanks to everyone who's asked questions and hung out today. It's been great to hear from you—and thanks especially for all your kind words about SW records old and new. It's like being hugged over and over.
If you missed it, you can still read all the questions/answers here: www.reddit.com/r/indieheads/comments/vjnv2n/shearwater_amaquestions_on_any_scale_wjonathan/
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Friends! Our @indie_heads Reddit AMA post is live now! If you have any questions (about SW, books, birds, science, Loma, Texas, band feuds, etc) now's your time to ask. I'll be there at 11AM ET / 8AM PT to answer as many questions as I can. (JM)
Whoop! The new record is amazing!
Have you been wondering if your #askshearwater questions fell into a black hole? It's been tough to film those videos recently, but if you have questions, tomorrow's your chance! JM will be answering any and all questions on his Reddit @indie_heads AMA.
We’ll post the direct link to the AMA a couple of hours before it starts, so if you have questions, but can't make it there live, you can ask them beforehand and JM can answer them, and you can come back for the answer later.
