Artist: Sandi Thom
Album: Warpaint
Lead Single: Revolution Anthem (Festival of the Oppressed)
Release: 22/03/24
F.F.O: KT Tunstall, Tracy Chapman, Joni Mitchell

Listen to REVOLUTION ANTHEM (FESTIVAL OF THE OPPRESSED) [WAV]

Scottish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sandi Thom released her latest single, the controversial Revolution Anthem (Festival of the Oppressed) on March 15th, 2024. A product of recent geo-political turmoil, the single is an anthem for those struggling under unjust systems, sick of the way the world treats them. The single has clearly struck a chord in these tough political times, and with elections looming this year Thom is looking forward to discussing the global and local situation on BBC Scotland’s The Debate Night, hosted by Stephen Jardine (TX date 24 April).

In this age of cancel culture, standing up and speaking out is a risk, but in a world where genocide is being normalised, Thom feels it’s vital for artists and celebrities to engage with geo-politics. “As songwriters and artists, we have the opportunity to be a mouthpiece for the ‘vox populi’.” explains Thom. With societies across the world seemingly reaching a boiling point, where marginalised and oppressed communities are being silenced, Sandi is daring to use her platform to call for change, and speak truth to power. “Nothing will change if we do not take a stand and raise our voices together. There is, after all, “power in our voice”.”

Revolution Anthem (Festival of the Oppressed) is a song for our times. Harking back as far as the French Revolution, it also refers to the Russia/Ukraine War, Brexit and Covid, while directly calling out world leaders such as Putin, Trump and ex-Prime Minister Liz Truss. The stripped back folk-rock song is something you can imagine being sung at marches and rallies for years to come with lyrics such as:

"So, it's time for a change, raise your voice to the air, time for a change, Revolution is here"

Layering its tribal sounding drums and percussion with a simple acoustic guitar, we are drawn to Thom’s powerful voice, once again using vocal harmonies to create a unique sound, and highlighting the incredibly urgent lyrics. The result is a rousing single that calls back to the classic protest songs of the counterculture; artists including Rage Against The Machine, Tracy Chapman and Gossip; like all the best protest songs, it is powerfully anthemic.

‘Once again, we stand at a tipping point for our society, not just here in the UK, but the world. The dawn of revolution seems imminent. We are “down-out, down-beat and down-trodden”. And it "has to be time for a change” states Thom.

Sandi Thom first came to prominence in the mid-noughties as one of the first artists to pioneer a streamed tour, performing broadcasts from her Tooting home. The online concerts made headlines at the time with Thom’s shows beginning with 60 viewers before exploding into an excess of 100,000, landing her a deal with RCA/Sony. The artist then released her 2006 single I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair) which topped the charts across the UK, Ireland, and remained at no.1 in Australia for 10 consecutive weeks. I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker stands at a whopping 70 million plays on Spotify.

Revolution Anthem (Festival of the Oppressed), penned by Thom and lyricist Matt Thomas, precedes Sandi’s later 2024 work which will see her release an exclusive line of NFTs and perform a host of festival dates. This once again sees Thom paving the way for a new generation of artists, as the first well known British singer songwriter to release her music first in the Metaverse before mainstream music platforms.

Revolution Anthem was released not only as a song but as a limited-edition collectible piece of art; a 3D mosaic of Sandi's face made up of the mug shots of her very own fans. The 100 copies, on sale for $100, sold out within 24 hours.

Revolution Anthem (Festival of the Oppressed) is available across all platforms and as an NFT now.

Previous Press Reviews:
**** Classic Rock magazine
“Exquisite” The Times
“Unique pop-folk” The Herald
“Fierce & Honest songwriting” The Huffington Post
“Internet Sensation” BBC
“Pugnacious and Sharp” The Irish Times
“Diverse and consistently Impressive” American Songwriter

For more information, please contact Michelle Thomas michelle@futuremovies.co.uk