Don’t Fear the Natives – We Don’t Wanna Hear a Thousand Reasons (2022)
There are a lot of injustices in the world and the ongoing mica scandal in Ireland is one of them. Don’t Fear the Natives are passionate about raising awareness of the scandal and the newly launched services to help those affected by it. This has resulted in their protest single ‘We Don’t Wanna Hear a Thousand Reasons’, which hits back at the way affected families have been treated and left isolated.
The first seeds of the single came during a protest for mica redress and the pain of those whose homes crumbled in Ireland, due to defective building materials has been woven into the track. Using a classic rock protest sound, Claire McDaid (vocals), Denis Kelly (guitar), Greg McDaid (guitar) and Cathal McDaid (bass) add a flair of their unique sound. Their reputation for fusing different styles has seen them land well-received festival appearances and journeys into iTunes Ireland Top 20.
‘We Don’t Wanna Hear a Thousand Reasons’ strums to life with a moving guitar line. There is a wonderful folk-rock vibe to the melodic movement as the layers of the guitars push you forward. There is something about the melody that has your foot tapping away to the rhythm, while you move forward with the momentum. You can feel the powerful strains of protest songs of old in the melody that lends a poignancy to the single. You can easily imagine this song soaring out over a crowd as they peacefully protest. While there is a touch of anger to protest songs, the melody turns this into something different that is no less powerful.
While you are pushed forward by the melody, it is the vocals that soar through your heart. Claire McDaid’s vocals have an earthy folk roll as she questions the powers that be. Through the verses, she is able to call out the powerful, while turning our attention to the pain they bring, without any care. The chorus hits further to the heart of the matter as she considers how we are the ones who have to deal with the consequences of powerful people’s mistakes. Throughout the single, there is a thread that links the protest to the mica scandal, but there is something more universal about it.
Don’t Fear the Natives protest the treatment of those affected by the mica scandal in Ireland, while touching on more universal injustices in ‘We Don’t Wanna Hear a Thousand Reasons’. The folk-rock tones of the single add a certain force to the protest of the vocals. The lyrics weave the injustice of the scandal into the terrible treatment of those affected, while touching on something much bigger regarding the problems of the world.
Find out more about Don’t Fear the Natives on their Facebook, Twitter and Spotify.
