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On The Table Read Magazine, “the best creativity magazine in the UK,” songwriter Dan Rose shares how the climate change emergency inspired him to write his new single, Smell The Need For Change.
Written by Dan Rose
Climate Disaster
Where are we going? Are you the type of person who goes with the flow or are you the type that wants a direction? In many ways I’ve been asking myself this a lot throughout my years in this world of ours. It’s obvious that we are headed for a climate disaster of an unbelievable scale and yet the world keeps going, the capitalist wheels keep grinding everything to a pulp.
Like so many others who are very aware of this situation, I have been feeling the climate-anxiety, eco-paralysis and also the guilt of not being a perfect green-living zero-wasting carbon neutral climate-warrior. I do my best. I want to help. I want us all to do better. We have to. There is no “planet B”, as they say.
I am in awe of people like Greta Thunberg. She deserves a medal alone for all the shit she takes, she’s so impressive and inspiring. Fridays For Future, Extinction Rebellion, Just Stop Oil, Greenpeace and so many others are fighting for our future on this planet, and I feel humbled and grateful for their efforts, and I try to contribute what I can. Changing minds, changing opinions, making people see the green future ahead. That’s not easy, but that is what they are doing, and I honestly believe that it is working. I guess I am both an optimist and a pessimist if that is even possible?
Smell The Need For Change
On Earth Day back in the corona-cautious year of 2022, I decided to write a song I could release on Earth Day the following year, depending on whether the pandemic or the climate crisis had destroyed our world by then. In spite of some terrible facts about our treatment of this
planet and the environment we are so dependent on, Earth Day 2023 came around and so did my song “Smell The Need For Change“. Written as a song-version of protest signs at a demonstration for climate action, I ended up also referencing a minimalist lifestyle which made it a perfect summation of my attitude towards modern life. “Treat the planet like we depend on it”.
Tongue in cheek or deadly serious. Both? That song is my call for action, my invitation for you to dare to speak your mind against those who belittle the situation. They are either scared to acknowledge the truth (I totally get that) or they are unable to see it (I don’t get that).
The song is performed and recorded very loosely to emphasize my “less-is-more” minimalism feelings, but also to avoid a modern overproduced and meaningless “pleasing” sound. Progress is rarely radio friendly. Not that radio was ever a “thing” for me. I’m not attractive to that crowd. Too DIY, too raw, too unpopular. Whatever. I’m here to speak my truth and connect with you who dream of a greener future. A more sustainable world.
Rather than spending my life sucking everything I can out of my brief time on this planet, I hope to contribute and to see a turn towards a more climate-friendly existence so that I know future generations will be able to accomplish amazing things.
Climate Change Music
I might sound a bit dramatic here, but I’ve had a glass of wine or two and I’m feeling angry about the lack of progress, and I feel guilty for not doing more than I am. Besides the life choices I have made, do my songs have any impact? Do they matter at all? Hopefully some of it seeps through to someone who needs to hear it. There it is again, hope. Hope is good if it is accompanied by action.
“Smell The Need For Change” is both an act of protest and a rallying cry for positive climate actions of any kind; every small step matters. Drenched in a lo-fi sound worthy of an old cassette-tape, the vibe is very much not-commercial or crowd-pleasing, but truthful to the timeless aspect of good song writing. If you listen close enough, you will hear a reference to the Beatles. I say that not to draw comparisons, but to let you know that I am just a normal human being with something I truly want to tell you, I am not a music legend or even someone with any kind of gravitas. I’m just an independent solo artist with an acoustic guitar and the nerve to speak up about issues that myself and everybody else really could be handling together, know what I mean?
This song is going to be on my full album that comes out later this year. I am so excited to share it with you and hear what you think. It’s full-on lo-fi sound and DIY spirit, with that acoustic guitar and raw feelings, ideas, and opinions. No bullshit pop songs in an Ed Sheeran dressing or whatever else tops the glorified charts of meaningless nonsense. It’s all bullshit. I’m here for you who also think that prestige and success are overrated.
Are you with me? I made this song for you.
Find more now:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1aNVBdR7S8oL4JZkurRe79?si=OUSLxOhaTp2MgmV0V9u3Eg
https://music.apple.com/dk/artist/dan-rose/1017919880
https://www.instagram.com/danrosedk
https://www.facebook.com/DanRosedk/
https://www.tiktok.com/@danrosedk
https://www.tiktok.com/@danrosedk
https://www.youtube.com/DanRosedk
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