Democracy Forward President & CEO Skye Perryman: “At a time when so many communities across the nation are hurting and being targeted, music, art, and expression helps to bring people together in community, which creates the conditions for courage.”
Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday, Democracy Forward, in partnership with The Bitter Southerner, launched the pre-sale for an exclusive double album featuring songs from best selling artists Michael Stipe and Big Red Machine, Tyler Childers, Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, John Prine and more. The album will be released on vinyl the week of July 3.
Proceeds for the album will benefit Democracy Forward’s work, including the legal representation it provides free of charge for people and communities to defend their rights under the Constitution.
Since Inauguration, Democracy Forward has emerged as a critical bulwark against the unconstitutional actions that we are seeing the new administration take. The organization has filed more than 70 legal actions and launched 90 investigations, securing multiple significant victories that directly protect Americans from harmful policies.
See Coverage Below:
Billboard: ‘Democracy Forward’ Compilation Features Tracks From Michael Stipe, Wilco, Brandi Carlile, John Prine and Tyler Childers
The 20-track Democracy Forward double album will feature songs from R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe, Wilco, Tyler Childers, Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard and Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit and many more on a compilation focused on democracy, resilience and courage. The collection is a partnership between literary magazine The Bitter Southerner and national legal organization Democracy Forward.
“The work of Democracy Forward ensures that people and communities – that all of us – are heard and that our rights are protected,” said Skye Perryman, President & CEO of Democracy Forward in a statement about the collection that will be released on vinyl the week of July 3; pre-sales begin today here.
Proceeds from the album will benefit Democracy Forward’s work, which includes free representation for people and communities in defense of their constitutional rights. Since the second inauguration of President Donald Trump, Democracy Forward said in the statement that it has been focused on “some of the most significant issues affecting people, families, and communities to confront anti-democratic extremism head-on. From stopping the federal funding freeze, to blocking the decimation of the Department of Education, to protecting religious liberty, to safeguarding due process, to stopping DOGE and Musk from taking Americans’ sensitive and personal data, and more – Democracy Forward has won court orders for people and is just getting started.”
Deadline: Michael Stipe, Jason Isbell & Brandi Carlile Among Artists Featured On Album To Benefit Democracy Forward’s Legal Challenges
Michael Stipe and Big Red Machine, Brandi Carlile and Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit are among the artists lending their work to a new double album, Democracy Forward, to benefit the group of the same name.
Other artists on the album include Tyler Childers, Brittany Howard, John Prine, Wilco and Langhorne Slim. The album, a partnership of Democracy Forward and literary magazine The Bitter Southerner, will be released on vinyl and online on July 3 and started taking pre-orders today.
Skye Perryman, President & CEO of Democracy Forward, said in a statement: “At a time when so many communities across the nation are hurting and being targeted, music, art, and expression helps to bring people together in community, which creates the conditions for courage. We are incredibly grateful to the artists who have dedicated their music to support the American people’s rights and our democracy during this consequential time.”
The Hill: Michael Stipe, Brandi Carlile and Jason Isbell headline album to benefit legal group battling Trump
Michael Stipe and Big Red Machine, “The Joke” singer Brandi Carlile and Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit are among the artists featured on a new album from a left-leaning legal organization that has gone head-to-head with the Trump administration in the courts.
Songs and spoken word pieces from the musicians will be included on “Democracy Forward,” the group of the same name announced on Tuesday.
The double album from Democracy Forward and the literary magazine The Bitter Southerner will begin shipping at the end of the month and is poised to be released on vinyl in early July. Other artists performing as part of the compilation album include Tyler Childers, Brittany Howard, Wilco and John Prine.
“We believe in the importance of our democracy and also our ability to save it,” Stipe said in a spoken word recording featured on the album, according to the group.
“At a time when so many communities across the nation are hurting and being targeted, music, art, and expression helps to bring people together in community, which creates the conditions for courage,” Skye Perryman, Democracy Forward’s president and CEO, said in a statement about the album’s release.
All proceeds from the $46 musical project, which is available for pre-sale beginning this week, will benefit Democracy Forward’s work, “including the legal representation it provides free of charge for people and communities to defend their rights under the Constitution,” the organization said.
REM Instagram Post: Michael is among a stellar cast of artists contributing songs to Democracy Forward, a compilation vinyl record of pro-democracy and protest songs being released by Democracy Forward and The Bitter Southerner
Michael is among a stellar cast of artists contributing songs to Democracy Forward, a compilation vinyl record of pro-democracy and protest songs being released by Democracy Forward and The Bitter Southerner. All proceeds from the double album will go to Democracy Forward, one of the key legal organizations doing the essential work of defending democracy, the United States Constitution, and the rule of law. The album will be available on July 4th at The Bitter Southerner’s website.
– # # # –
Democracy Forward Foundation is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy, public education, and regulatory engagement. For more information, please visit www.democracyforward.org.