We decided to start this zine because, as makers of folk music, we wanted to document what’s happening now in music and in the world, and give voice to different musicians and activists who are currently part of the struggle for liberation in all its forms.

While folk music has always played a role in social movements, it has very often been co-opted by people and groups to suit their own needs. Be they the Communist Party or the Apple computer company, there have always been ideologues and business people out to jack liberation music for their own uses. We suspect that it is only a matter of time before they try to use the current interest in radical folk music to sell political lines or candidates, laptops or iPods.

While we find the idea of dividing ourselves into scenes exclusionary and silly, we understand that people are brought together by their love of specific kinds of music, and there is a substantial amount of people who are jiving to radical folk. In our experiences traveling and playing shows, we’ve noticed how diverse the people are who come out to folk shows. Older people, younger people, lefties, liberals, socialists, anarchists, punks, hippies, hipsters, parents, grandparents, working folk, nonworking folk, students, etc. It’s refreshing to see how folk can bring a diverse crowd of people together to share in the experience of people making music in a room. This doesn’t seem like an exclusionary scene to us at all. This feels like the convergence of individuals from different communities who are committed to social change and enjoy music that is as well.

With this zine, we hope not to contribute to any sort of scene, but to encourage dialogue between the people who listen to and create folk music. Growing up, zines we picked up at shows helped broaden our worldviews and shape our political understandings. It’s our hope that this zine can do the same. For us, life, music, and activism are inseparable, and we want Even If Your Voice Shakes to reflect this.

PS: As we’ve been wrapping up this issue, we’ve realized how phallocentric—the interviews are all with men, and the CD is pretty butch. Rather than try to fix this at this point, we’ve chosen to finish this issue, put it out, and be more aware—and challenging—of our patriarchal mindsets in making future issues.

Peace,
Mark Gunnery and Ryan Harvey