On the day that our esteemed leader announces that Net Zero isn’t for him just yet, Skipton’s Eco Warriors The Tenmours issue their stirring anthem.

Release Date:  Out Now

Label: Self release

Formats: Download – available here

Coincidence, or what?

This one came my way just hours after our esteemed – if desperate and out-of-touch – leader revealed irrefutably that (as if we didn’t already know) he cares far more about preserving his own position and that of his pathetic and terminally ill government than he does about ensuring that we provide the next generation – and the generations to follow – with an environment that is fit for habitation.

The Tenmours – Alex, Adam and David – are a three-piece band from Skipton, North Yorkshire and they, unlike those who have supposedly accepted a binding responsibility to do so, CARE.  Their music is a hefty combination of folk, full-bodied rock and world music and they believe in using their musical power to shape outlook and opinions in relation to things that matter.  Particularly the health of our environment.

The Tenmours’ new single, Eco Freak, is dedicated to those who, like the band themselves, seek to influence those in power and – perhaps even more importantly, those to whom the ‘powerful’ are answerable – to take this environmental crisis seriously.  So, groups like Greenpeace, The National Trust, RSPB, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, Extinction Rebellion and Animal Rising all get a mention in the press release for Eco Freak.

Eco Freak is quite something.  It’s a powerful song, backed by some pretty immense guitar riffing and soaring solos.  It’s epic, with the potential to become an anthem for the environmental movement.  If I was being negative, I might suggest that, powerful though the music and the lyrical messages are, they’ll appeal mainly to the converted, rather than to the undecided, but – as a rallying point and an expression of common belief – it has huge value.

And – what about those lyrics?  Are they tongue-in-cheek?  Emphatically not.  They may be broken down into soundbites like: “The joke is on us – we’re the dumb ones,” “I will not fly – no planes for me; you might as well put salt in your tea,” “I know what I want to be, the bees and trees can come along with me” and “You see rich land – we see quicksand,” but the opportunities mentioned in the song for clean travel, efficient recycling and animal welfare are all there now for the taking.

For The Tenmours, Eco Freak embodies their manifesto – as they explain: “Eco-Freak’s stamping energy expresses a plethora of strange new feelings.  Its ‘Floydesque’ melodies will seep into your soul, inviting you to embrace the call for change, and become the eco-warriors the world needs.  Join us, as we embark on this new chapter of our musical journey.”

Climate change isn’t make-believe, and it isn’t going to go away unless we act differently, no matter what any number of high-profile naysayers may tell you. It’s a scientific fact that our planet is at an environmental crossroads.  The effort and investment and required to end fossil fuel usage and to embrace a more sustainable way of living is massive and Governmental dithering will certainly send us down the wrong road; the will to change, and the positive actions advocated by initiatives like Eco Freak may yet be able to divert us along the right one. Let’s hope that this – along with the many other positive initiatives currently underway – help gain the traction needed.

Listen to Eco Freak here:

The Tenmours online: Website / Facebook / X / Instagram / Bandcamp / YouTube

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