Joshua Radin Calls On Humanity With “What Would You Do (Refugee Song)”
September 12, 2019 BY Nettwerk
Joshua Radin has shared a third song from his upcoming album Here, Right Now, out October 4th. Available everywhere this Friday, “What Would You Do (Refugee Song)” tackles heartbreak caused by a broken system, from the perspective of a child desperately needing rescue. Joshua was inspired to write the song after seeing footage of children separated from their families at the border.
Listen To “What Would You Do (Refugee Song)” Here:
Joshua had the following to say about the track:
“Those who know me know that I am not a very political person. I try to write songs that might move people, ALL people, employing universal themes to which we can all relate. I’m not nearly educated enough to take a public stance on political policy. That being said, I saw footage of very young children being separated from their parents, and I thought to myself, whatever your stance on immigration is, this particular action is un-American and wrong, so I tried my best to write a song from the perspective of one of these children. I hope it makes you feel, and more importantly, maybe even sparks discussion and debate amongst your families, friends and co-workers. When we spend so much time focusing on what divides us rather than using our individual voices to bring people together, I believe we have failed this great experiment that is our United States. I’m reminded of this quote from W. E. B. Du Bois: ‘Either America will destroy ignorance or ignorance will destroy the United States.’ It’s our choice. Choose wisely.”
Last month, Joshua released a video for title track “Here, Right Now” that shines a light on animal rescue with footage and facts from North Shore Animal League America (NSALA), the world’s largest No Kill rescue and adoption organization. He had previously announced via social media that he would be donating all proceeds from the streams/sales of this track, along with proceeds from the sales of special “Here, Right Now” bracelets, to NSALA. His relationship with the organization began over a year ago, thanks to his friendship with NSALA National Spokesperson Beth Stern, who asked Radin to participate in a benefit show last summer.
Produced by Tony Berg with an array of guest vocalists and musicians, including Berg’s daughter Z Berg, the aforementioned Maria Taylor, Alex Greenwald (Phantom Planet) and Danny Burke, Here, Right Now is comprised of seven original tracks and two covers (Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” and The Rolling Stones’ “She Smiled Sweetly”) that tackle themes of broken relationships, rescue, friendship and self-determination, all delivered with Radin’s silvery, intimate tenor.
In celebration of the new album, Radin will team up with iconic indie duo The Weepies for a fall tour presented by SiriusXM’s Coffee House with special guest Lily Kershaw. The tour kicks off with two shows on October 8th and 9th at the legendary Troubadour in West Hollywood, CA. Additional cities include San Francisco, Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit, New York (two shows), Philadelphia and wrapping up in Nashville on November 9th. Tickets are on sale now. For tour updates and more information visit www.joshuaradin.com.
