Scottish Artists Stand With Palestine held their first fundraising event in Edinburgh’s Leith Arches on the 30th of June. The aim was to raise funds for Operation Olive Branch, a grassroots movement to support and amplify aid requests of Palestinian families. The initiative was launched by Megan Black, a singer songwriter who wanted to take action in support of those in Gaza, and realising the most effective way was to use her own creative community.
Leith is arguably the beating heart of that community and so it felt completely fitting that this event was held at Leith Arches.
Megan was joined by Harpist Dara Dubh and Aneshka of the band Pelowska in organising this event and they were inundated with requests by artists to participate. At this first event those who took part were Justyna Jablonska, Erin Meg, Oriana Setz, Sara Howen and guests, Pelowska and Full Fat Band.
We put questions to a couple of the artists, learning more about reasons for getting involved.
Oriana Setz
Where do you find your inspiration?
I always struggle answering this question. We are all influenced by the artists we grow up listening to and the sounds that we find later in life. As an Ecuadorian singer-songwriter who’s a fan of catchy melodies as well as being true to our own personal form of creativity, I enjoy fusing Pop with Latin rhythms and Alternative music. I also find deep joy in travelling, observing nature, and exposing myself to other people’s experiences and cultures, which has turned into experimenting with Folk music from different cultures as well as bilingual writing.
Regarding my lyrics, I’ve always been passionate about finding the right words to describe the complexity of the human emotions and to share my insights. Again, I’m a very perceptive and observant person and writing is my way of making sense of the things I notice in my external and internal worlds. Topics related to belonging, identity and growth are probably the ones that fuel my creativity the most.
Why did you want to get involved with Scottish Artists Stand With Palestine?
I have a strong sense of social responsibility that I like to address through my art and music. I mean, someone has to do something. And as a musician I’m fortunate enough to have an excuse to have a platform and a stage where I can voice my thoughts. People are already listening so might as well get the message across, right?
That being said, I’m the kind of person who struggles to speak their mind through regular means of communication. I always joke about being able to write and sing but not being able to talk. A lot of times I trip over my words, or feel like my vocabulary is very reduced when I have to speak. There have been countless times in which my voice was turn into a whisper due to other people’s voices being louder than mine. Literally and metaphorically speaking. So maybe because of this experience of not feeling heard on the regular is that I understand the value of self expression and a keen audience that’s willing to listen. But still, that’s not enough. As an artist, sometimes you gotta create space for yourself and lead the change. If we waited until the music industry stopped to do something about the different wars around us, nothing would ever get done. So I’m impressed by the Scottish Artists stand with Palestine movement and I am grateful to have been given the chance to unite forces. That’s the only way to make things happen.
So I choose to speak up for what’s wrong by showing up to events like this. Because murder and specially punching down is absolutely unacceptable. Palestinians lives matter, and we need more artists around the world doing as much as they can handle. Music and activism are two sides of the same coin. Although it’s not pleasant to open our eyes to the terrible injustice happening in the world every day, we got to stand for something.
What are your plans for the rest of the year?
I’m currently recording my next singles which will culminate in the release of my second album. I plan to put out at least two more songs before the end of 2024. A lot depends on funding and other external sources like my crowd funding via Patreon. I moved to the UK about two years ago and it’s been quite difficult to get the ball rolling — making connections and getting a sense of how a new country works always takes time. Fortunately and despite the obstacles of immigration, I have found fantastic opportunities to perform as well as to work with other like-minded musicians and industry professionals. I know it’s only a matter of time before I become a familiar face in Scotland and I make this place my new home.
Pelowska
Where do you find your inspiration?
PELOWSKA’s sound has been described as industrial pop – think Nine Inch Nails goes to a party with Massive Attack where they meet RAYE. Our lyrics delve into the realms of mental health, finding one’s identity and shattering barriers. The inspiration comes from hardships of live and a vast array of music we listen to, electronic as well as guitar based.
Why did you want to get involved with Scottish Artists Stand With Palestine?
We felt an overwhelming need to help the cause in any way we can. There had been many times when I felt resigned about the fact that there was almost nothing I could do about the conflict apart from donating some money. The opportunity to join SASWP felt like a good way to get involved: to join a community of like-minded people as well as being able to use our creativity and energy for a good cause.
What are your plans for the rest of the year?
We are working on a new single that should come out just in time for our headline show at Edinburgh Sneaky Pete’s on the 22 August. We are planning on releasing a music video to accompany it and have some more exciting gigs lined up.
The amount raised from the first event currently stands at £885 with the opportunity to donate still available at the Go Fund Me link here.
It is important to reiterate that this is just the first step. There are already different teams in place for Glasgow, Edinburgh and smaller towns in Scotland with the aim of coordinating different events. There is also a song being created by a circle of song-writers, and a compilation album in the works too. As this is an ongoing, humanitarian issue, the organisation wants to continue to raise money, awareness, and hopefully build a supportive community where we can band together to try to bring even a little help Palestinian families.
For more information on Scottish Artists Stand With Palestine and to learn how to get involved please check out their instagram and linketr.ee.
Photo credit: Julia Mason
