The track itself is a masterclass in restraint: acoustic guitar, dobro, banjo, upright bass and drums combine into what Nanseera calls back porch gothic, a sound she describes as apocalyptic yet hopeful.
Written in direct response to the current sociopolitical climate, it’s a song that trusts its arrangement to carry as much weight as its lyrics. Fans of Rhiannon Giddens, Jesse Welles, Gillian Welch, Allison Russell and Joy Oladokun will find plenty to connect with here.
Nanseera, who was born in London and raised across Uganda and Ethiopia before settling in Nashville, wrote the track after weeks of trying to process the US Supreme Court’s ruling to weaken the Voting Rights Act. The breakthrough came during a solo session at the Song Suffragettes House on Music Row, and she recorded it soon after across just three sessions, the fastest turnaround of her career.
The visualiser extends that urgency into a second medium, ending with a note of thanks to those marching across the southern US in response to the ruling. It’s a small but pointed gesture from an artist who has never written from a distance.