Bands and labels teaming together to raise money for Ferguson
Earlier this week, DIY label Driftwood Records announced that they would be donating all revenue received from Bandcamp downloads for the month of December to both the St. Louis Area Food Bank and the Ferguson Public Library. Following this, they encouraged other labels and bands to do the same—and many have heeded their call. Among those participating this far include labels such as Mayfly Records, Near Mint Records, Funeral Sounds, and bands the likes of Panucci's Pizza and Caged Bird Songs.
“The situation in Ferguson has, I'm sure, had a huge effect on the community there. It's important to protect them and empower them in this time of struggle and loss,” says Driftwood's Andi Kiss. “What this is really all about is supporting the voices of our black brothers, sisters, and gender non-conforming individuals who face oppression that I, as a white person, will not understand.”
Funeral Sounds owner Mark Garza weighed in on things, saying, “The issues that have been brought to attention by the events in Ferguson, and by the deaths of Eric Garner and Tamir Rice and countless other people of color, have been prevalent in our society for countless years and continue to be, no matter how much anyone else wants to tell you that we're making a big deal out of nothing.”
The folks at Driftwood are curating working lists for both labels and bands that are raising money this month. They also encourage you to get in touch with them, as they will be tabulating monetary totals once December comes to a close.
