Band hit right note with latest single
A Blantyre band celebrated the launch of their latest single with an incredible fundraising drive for a mental health charity.
The Naked Feedback’s new track, titled Boys Can Cry, tackles the rates of male suicide, a subject close to their hearts.
The lads teamed up with charity Tiny Changes which was set up in memory of late Frightened Rabbit singer Scott Hutchison, who took his own life in 2018.
Through the release, the musicians have raised more than £1000. And as part of their efforts, two of the lads completed a sponsored run from Glasgow city centre to Blantyre.
Singer and guitarist Dean Anderson and drummer Derek Whiteford managed the 10-mile feat on release day as many donors supported the cause.
The idea came about after the band were left stranded after a night out in Glasgow a few years ago, and came close to journeying back on foot with the wait on a taxi taking too long. In the end, they thought against it but decided to take on the challenge to celebrate their new song – and all for a good cause.
Speaking of the track, The Naked Feedback hope to raise awareness of men’s mental health and the alarming rate of suicides in recent years. It also addresses the mental struggles people have faced over the past 18 months after being impacted by the pandemic.
Dean said: “Boys Can Cry is about the struggles that people with mental health problems carry but also the social stigmas which prevent the problems being tackled or addressed. The track itself is very aggressive and in your face whereas the lyrical content is slightly softer and almost written as a cry for help. This was intentional. Even today, there is still a bit of a taboo about a man speaking up about how he feels and being written off as being weak or not a real man.
“The aggressive music symbolises this old way of thinking about masculinity but having the softer message run parallel.”
It’s also been a subject close to home for Dean who has lost friends to suicide recently.
He added: “Over lockdown many people I knew committed suicide. In addition, I think everyone’s mental health took a hit as we were all cooped up indoors. The track is more of an overview of central/western Scotland’s mental health being affected by lockdowns and the pandemic. The line ‘Boys Can Cry, they shouldn’t die, is a man man enough when he’s dead?’ sums up the message we are trying to convey and the issue we are attempting to keep the spotlight on.”
The campaign raised £1005 for Tiny Changes, and you can still go to www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/thenakedfeedbackrun