By the lights
sees her freely admit that whenever she posts something about climate change, another issue close to her heart, she loses 10,000 followers.
However she intends to continue use her platform to highlight the cause.
“It’s depressing we still live in a world where people are very fearful of the truth,” Goulding says.
“I’ve come to realise that it’s all how you word things. It’s not just about ‘By the way we’re all going to die because the planet is heating up and there’s nothing we can do about it and we’re not doing anything to prevent it’. You can’t say that, as much as it is kind of true, I have to say it in a way that rallies people in a positive way rather than making them afraid.
“I know people say they don’t want to hear the news because it depresses them. We have a responsibility to our family and our children. If you are outraged and upset about something then do something about it, get involved, write to your local politician, involve yourself in the protests. I don’t like it when people say ‘I don’t want to hear that’. Unless it really triggers your mental health I think people need to be really responsible at the moment.”
She’s also outraged by the idea that famous people shouldn’t air their political views.
“Everyone is political. As long as you pay tax and take advantage of health services, everything in your life is affected by politics, you just can’t say you don’t care about politics or it doesn’t affect you. It makes no sense. I’m not a celebrity talking politics, I’m a human being on this planet talking politics, it’s nothing to do with my fame, I’d still be doing it if I had 10 followers.”
While Goulding’s touring for Brightest Blue has been pushed to 2021, she intends to talk the talk.
“We’re trying to make the tour very green, travelling by train, zero plastic, a much smaller staging set up. I’m excited to see how that works. “I just have to see how that works touring somewhere like Australia. There may be a plan of stopping on the way, trying not to fly internally in Oz. I think it’s doable, it just might not be that pleasant. I’m willing to take that risk.”
BRIGHTEST BLUE IS OUT NOW
The revered Australian artist devised this stripped back concert film in the wake of his moving Conversations shows around the world over the past 18 months.
“We worked with the team at Alexandra Palace – a venue I have played and love – on securing a date to film just as soon as they were allowed to re-open the building to us. Surrounded by COVID officers with tape measures and thermometers, masked-up gaffers and camera operators, nervous looking technicians and buckets of hand gel, together we created something very strange and very beautiful that spoke into this uncertain moment, but was in no way bowed by it.” It screens on July 23 from 8pm with tickets available via dice.fm
The compelling Australian artist was inspired by her iso piano practise sessions to share strippedback versions of her songs with her live touring plans on hold for the indefinite future. McMahon’s 35minute concert, filmed at the Perch Recording Studios in Castlemaine in Victoria, adapted for a solo artist to record in an isolated setting under social distancing restrictions. Tickets are now on sale for the July 29 via ticketmaster.com.au