Emerging from the center of protest culture in London, a new song begs our attention. Dryadic, the folk rock group famous for soulful fiddle hooks wrapped in a prominent political agenda, has made their live anthem "Redevelop Our Souls" a recorded performance. From its inception during the North London housing estate protests of 2015, the song has transformed into a life-affirming rally cry, one that encapsulates the immediacy of the past while wrestling with struggles and challenges yet to be resolved.
The power of the song is in its dichotomy, raucous enough to have festival crowds rendered shouter-like soldiers in unison, sharp enough to puncture the veil of inattentiveness. Built on rolling drums, over a glowing fiddle line, shared melodic hallmarks with some of our beloved anthemic innovators, such as The Levellers, while existing as a commentary in themselves. Dryadic's own voice is defiant, furious, and unapologetic, rooted in community.
For Zora, who is the lead vocalist, the lyrics of the tune are directly related to her lived experience. After growing up in the stability of council housing, Zora wrote the lyrics as a tribute and as a form of activism and resistance. "That security changed my life," she says, "When I moved onto a boat, I handed the house back to the council so someone else in crisis could benefit too. That’s what community looks like." The lyrics of the song are not theoretical; they are from a life of solidarity, theatre, activism, and the everyday reality of housing insecurities in the UK.
“Redevelop Our Souls” has already found its home among protest anthems, recently being performed at the Tolpuddle Festival and appearing on that event's first-ever CD compilation with Billy Bragg and Dryadic's efforts to raise awareness and funds for the Al Tafawk Children's Centre in Gaza, as they believe music can serve two purposes: as an art form and for action.
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Website: https://www.zorasings.com/dryadic