{"id":764,"date":"2020-11-02T19:37:17","date_gmt":"2020-11-02T19:37:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/krakowmusic.com\/blog\/?p=764"},"modified":"2020-11-02T21:46:54","modified_gmt":"2020-11-02T21:46:54","slug":"people-n-e-w-band-explores-whats-essential-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/krakowmusic.com\/blog\/people-n-e-w-band-explores-whats-essential-today\/","title":{"rendered":"PEOPLE: A n.e.w. Band Explores What’s Essential Today"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section full_width=”stretch_row” full_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” css=”.vc_custom_1604338464527{background-image: url(https:\/\/krakowmusic.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/NEW_Krakow-Music.jpg?id=767) !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}”][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/5″ css=”.vc_custom_1604339939373{background-color: rgba(30,30,30,0.3) !important;*background-color: rgb(30,30,30) !important;}”][nk_text]<\/p>\n

We slipped numbly into this year of perfect vision; snug in our personalized bubbles, comfortably socially distanced from reality. As the darkness washed over us and civilization came crashing to a screeching halt \u2013 our values, priorities and understanding of what is truly essential came sharply into focus: <\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
Life is Essential.<\/strong><\/span>
\nHealth is Essential.<\/strong><\/span>
\nPeople are Essential.<\/strong><\/span>
\nRights are Essential.<\/strong><\/span>
\nWork is Essential.<\/strong><\/span>
\nArt is Essential.<\/strong><\/span>
\nMusic is Essential. <\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
We wilfully embrace the hierarchy of needs that currently defines one\u2019s role in society, yet wholeheartedly reject any sense of permanence this role might suggest. The roles that may seem non-essential today, may be essential to our very survival tomorrow.<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
We are People. We are Workers. We are Musicians.<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
We are non-essential workers.<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

[\/nk_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/5″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/5″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/5″][nk_text vc_css=”.vc_custom_1604350967082{background-color: rgba(30,30,30,0.3) !important;*background-color: rgb(30,30,30) !important;}”]<\/p>\n

Watch the video \u279e\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/span>
\nDownload the song \u279e\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/span>
\nRead the review \u279e\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/h5>\n

[\/nk_text][vc_empty_space height=”100px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_section el_id=”video”][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″][nk_plain_video video=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=wGfwdlumA_k”][nk_text]<\/p>\n

Video production: Loose Wire Records & Krak\u00f3w Music<\/strong><\/p>\n

[\/nk_text][vc_empty_space height=”35px”][vc_single_image image=”793″ img_size=”full”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/5″][vc_icon icon_fontawesome=”ion-social-facebook” color=”white” background_style=”rounded” background_color=”black” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fnonessentialworkers%2F|target:_blank|rel:nofollow”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/5″][vc_icon icon_fontawesome=”fab fa-instagram” color=”white” background_style=”rounded” background_color=”black” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fnon_essential_workers_n.e.w._%2F|target:_blank|rel:nofollow”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/5″][vc_icon icon_fontawesome=”fab fa-bandcamp” color=”white” background_style=”rounded” background_color=”black” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fnonessentialworkers.bandcamp.com%2F|target:_blank|rel:nofollow”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/5″][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/5″][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner el_id=”download”][vc_column_inner][vc_raw_html]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[\/vc_raw_html][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner el_id=”review”][vc_column_inner][nk_title like=”” style=””]A Call for Change: A review by Shaun Oneill<\/strong>[\/nk_title][nk_text]From the pulsing swirling synth-based initial notes of <\/span>PEOPLE<\/span><\/i>\u2019s doom-filled opening, a muffled reprimanding voice talks of instability, change and civil unrest. The dystopian refrain taunts forebodingly at our folly; it is an uncertain and unfamiliar future that awaits, but one that could have been prevented:<\/span><\/p>\n

The People Running
\n<\/span><\/i>From the Fires coming
\n<\/span><\/i>To burn us once again<\/span><\/i><\/h5>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I love the hook of the opening. When the song actually kicks in around 48 seconds in, it’s exciting and visceral for the listener as any good opening should be. The snare’s tight 80s-style resonance, the minimal bass-heavy guitar tone high up in the mix with its killer lick and the keys floating somewhere in the middle remind me of a few classic songs from 1983’s seminal New Wave <\/span>Tears for Fears<\/span><\/a> album \u2013 <\/span>The Hurting. <\/span><\/i>The double-tracked vocals with the nice interplay of harmonies are up there with the best of Messrs Orzabal and Smith. Even though it might wear its past influences proudly, <\/span>PEOPLE<\/span><\/i> remains firmly lyrically rooted in the turmoil of 2020, making it all the more relevant and contemporary.\u00a0 It probes and prods, menacingly reflecting on the personal, social and political upheaval of our current times, where we find ourselves standing on the edge of an abyss, part of a society whose foundations have been rocked by a pandemic, unhinged leaders and mass protest. The lyrics’ honest candour and the dark mood they conjure is offset cleverly by the upbeat melodic music and this really does work in the song’s favour. After all, who doesn’t want the more unpleasant subjects in life packaged in a pleasant and hummable form? Yes, we crave art and music as social commentary, but we also want some escape from life during the isolation and anxiety of COVID 19.<\/span><\/p>\n

The shadows of our former selves
\n<\/span><\/i>Projected upon empty shelves
\n<\/span><\/i>Panic in the checkout line
\n<\/span><\/i>Come too close and pay the fine<\/span><\/i><\/h5>\n

I am less keen on the rap-like elements that intersperse the song and the decorative vocoder parts in the CODA, but it is always the wry and cutting narrative that dominates \u2013 irrespective of form \u2013 and rightly so. The song is uncompromising and a clear rebuke to our collective disinterest, our broken political system, our narcissism, our addiction to consumerism and technology and our individual responsibility for leaving a dying planet to future generations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Though time it somehow marches on
\n<\/span><\/i>We hear the ticking of its bomb
\n<\/span><\/i>Yet we still refuse to diffuse it
\n<\/span><\/i>Buy a plastic bag reuse it<\/span><\/i><\/h5>\n
\"\"
Wroc\u0142aw, Poland. \u00a9 \u0141ukasz Konieczka. unsplash.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

These are not easy accusations to bear but there is a note of hope. Perhaps if we can get off the lure of social media and stop feeling sorry for ourselves, then that misplaced energy can be transformed into something more life-affirming, creative. Maybe it will be the catalyst for the change that eventually saves us. If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that, yes, we need to look after ourselves, but we also need to look after each other \u2013 our neighbours, the elderly, the vulnerable. We must move away from the vacuous self-obsession of our pre-COVID lives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You can\u2019t be helpless when you\u2019re helping
\n<\/span><\/i>Eat humble pie then another helping<\/span><\/i><\/h5>\n

PEOPLE <\/span><\/i>is irrefutably a call to action, selflessness, philanthropy. We can demand change from our leaders but we must also strive to change ourselves. The time for mere words has passed. The song is an ultimatum to both a pre- and post-COVID society: can we rise up to this challenge in a world of unfettered greed and self interest?\u00a0 N.e.w. unequivocally think we can. I agree, for this is our legacy and how future generations will judge us. Failure is not an option.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stronger Together we\u2019ll stop this evil
\n<\/span><\/i>Stem the tide and chase that steeple
\n<\/span><\/i>Fuck the System of endless refills<\/span><\/i><\/h5>\n
We\u2019ll rise again, Yes we the People!<\/span><\/i>
\n<\/span><\/i><\/h5>\n
\"\"
Black Lives Matter protest – Aberdeen, Scotland 13th June 2020. \u00a9 Chris Sansbury. unsplash.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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PEOPLE<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

[\/nk_title][nk_text]<\/p>\n

By \u201cnon-essential workers\u201d (\u201cn.e.w.\u201d)
\nKrak\u00f3w, November 2, 2020<\/strong><\/h5>\n
(See The) People Running
\n<\/span>From the People Running
\n<\/span>This World of Ours Again<\/span><\/h5>\n
For The People Running
\n<\/span>The People\u2019s Money
\n<\/span>The World\u2019s Bazaar Again<\/span><\/h5>\n
The People Standing
\n<\/span>Again Demanding
\n<\/span>Changes Once Again<\/span><\/h5>\n
The People Running
\n<\/span>From the Fires coming
\n<\/span>To burn us once again<\/span><\/h5>\n
\u00a0<\/b><\/h5>\n
(See The) People Running
\n<\/span>From the People Running
\n<\/span>This World of Ours Again<\/span><\/h5>\n
For The People Running
\n<\/span>The People\u2019s Money
\n<\/span>The World\u2019s Bizarre Again<\/span><\/h5>\n
The People Standing
\n<\/span>Again Demanding
\n<\/span>Changes Once Again<\/span><\/h5>\n
The People Running
\n<\/span>From the Fire\u2019s coming
\n<\/span>To burn us once again<\/span><\/h5>\n
<\/h5>\n
A desperate silent show of hands
\n<\/span>Acknowledging our lack of plans
\n<\/span>The echoes of our arrogance
\n<\/span>Bouncing off our picket fence
\n<\/span>And only one thing now\u2019s for certain
\n<\/span>We\u2019re on a stage without a curtain
\n<\/span>No one there to catch our falls
\n<\/span>Scrape your children off the walls<\/span><\/h5>\n
Though time it somehow marches on
\n<\/span>We hear the ticking of its bomb
\n<\/span>Yet we still refuse to diffuse it
\n<\/span>Buy a plastic bag reuse it
\n<\/span>So jealous of others present tense
\n<\/span>Throw your futures past their fense
\n<\/span>Where the grass will always greener grow
\n<\/span>Watch close or you\u2019ll miss the show<\/span><\/h5>\n
<\/h5>\n
Whether rocky shores or melting snow
\n<\/span>Stay warm around its glow
\n<\/span>And slowly drift to a place more certain
\n<\/span>There\u2019s the stage and there\u2019s the curtain
\n<\/span>It reminds us of our recent past
\n<\/span>Cue the fence and cue the grass
\n<\/span>But this ain\u2019t recess, our recent reset
\n<\/span>Is perfect pretext to place some new bets<\/span><\/h5>\n
<\/h5>\n
The People Running
\n<\/span>From the People Running
\n<\/span>This World of Ours Again<\/span><\/h5>\n
For The People Running
\n<\/span>The People\u2019s Money
\n<\/span>The World\u2019s Bizarre Again<\/span><\/h5>\n
The People Standing
\n<\/span>Again Demanding
\n<\/span>Changes Once Again<\/span><\/h5>\n
The People Running
\n<\/span>From the Fire\u2019s coming
\n<\/span>To burn us once again<\/span><\/h5>\n
<\/h5>\n
The shadows of our former selves
\n<\/span>Projected upon empty shelves
\n<\/span>Panic in the checkout line
\n<\/span>Come too close and pay the fine<\/span><\/h5>\n
They won\u2019t stop till they let it burn
\n<\/span>We won\u2019t stop till we get our turn
\n<\/span>No more money left to earn
\n<\/span>Just lessons that we never learned<\/span><\/h5>\n
Although it\u2019s all just touch and go
\n<\/span>I need you more than you\u2019ll ever know
\n<\/span>Our connections are now more than fleeting
\n<\/span>Actions matter not actual meetings<\/span><\/h5>\n
So get up off your defeatist couch
\n<\/span>Part your hair, adjust your slouch
\n<\/span>You can\u2019t be helpless when you\u2019re helping
\n<\/span>Eat humble pie then another helping<\/span><\/h5>\n
Stronger Together we\u2019ll stop this evil
\n<\/span>Stem the tide and chase that steeple
\n<\/span>Fuck the System of endless refills<\/span><\/h5>\n
We\u2019ll rise again, Yes we the People!<\/span><\/h5>\n

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non-essential workers (n.e.w.) release their first single, PEOPLE, a call to action, a call to change in times of social, economic and political turmoil. Check out the video, their lyrics and a review of the song. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":766,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"PEOPLE: A n.e.w. Band Explores What's Essential Today","_seopress_titles_desc":"non-essential workers (n.e.w.) release their first single, PEOPLE, a call to action, a call to change in times of social, economic and political turmoil. ","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":false,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"","_twitter_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type":"","_pinterest_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"","_medium_share_type":"","_threads_share_type":"","_google_business_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[10,33],"tags":[95,12,97,96,93,94,8],"class_list":["post-764","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music-more","category-music-reviews","tag-alternative-rock","tag-covid19","tag-n-e-w","tag-non-essential-workers","tag-people","tag-rock","tag-videos"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-30 18:47:37","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/krakowmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/764","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/krakowmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/krakowmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krakowmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krakowmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=764"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/krakowmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/764\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":832,"href":"https:\/\/krakowmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/764\/revisions\/832"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krakowmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/766"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/krakowmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=764"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krakowmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=764"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krakowmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=764"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}