Just ahead of Earth Day, guitarist Donna Grantis has released a new song called “A Drop in the Bucket” that puts forward a strong statement about the global climate emergency.
The first piece that Grantis has released in collaboration with Brian Eno’s environmental charity EarthPercent, “A Drop in the Bucket” features the voice of Tzeporah Berman, chair of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative.
Throughout the track, which was recorded live at the Canadian Music Climate Summit presented by Music Declares Emergency Canada, Grantis improvises a soundscape that surrounds Tzeporah’s words, which highlight the urgency to stop the expansion of fossil fuels and undertake a worldwide transition away from oil, gas and coal.
Watch the video for “A Drop in the Bucket” below:
“As a supporter of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, I was moved by Tzeporah’s words from a recent podcast interview,” Grantis said. “She spoke about the continued extraction of fossil fuels, the resulting impacts on people and our planet, and, ultimately, how change happens. I was inspired to compose this song and highlight her message in hopes that it will evoke a feeling or spark an idea in someone, as it did with me.”
EarthPercent aims to provide a simple way for the music industry to support the most impactful organizations addressing the climate emergency. Its new campaign, The Earth As Your Co-Writer, adopts the construct of “The Earth” as a songwriter and beneficiary of music royalties. EarthPercent will collect performing and mechanical rights income directed to “The Earth” and distribute the funds to environmental and climate justice organizations. The charity aims to raise and invest $100 million from the music industry by 2030.
Grantis is one of the first to co-credit a composition to “The Earth” as part of this campaign. Others so far include Eno, Jacob Collier, Anna Calvi, Aurora and Erland Cooper.
“A Drop in the Bucket” is also the first piece Grantis has shared from her new project Culture vs Policy, with which Grantis aims to amplify the message of environmental leaders by composing, recording and performing music to their words. The full-length album is in development and will be released in 2024.
Eno and Grantis recently took part in a virtual keynote conversation as part of the Great Northern Festival’s Climate Solutions Series, which is available on YouTube.
Grantis, formerly a member of Prince’s bands 3rdeyegirl and New Power Generation, previously released her critically acclaimed album Diamonds & Dynamite in 2019.
This year’s Earth Day takes place on Saturday, April 22.
