A Christmas message of peace and community from Skipton’s self-styled ‘Activist Rock Band,’ The Tenmours.
Release Date: 15th December 2023
Label: Self Release
Formats: Download
We know The Tenmours. From Skipton, North Yorkshire, Alex Johnston-Seymour (guitar, piano and vocals), Adam Hopkins (drums, piano and vocals) and David Bullock (bass, clarinet and vocals) define themselves as an ‘Activist Rock Band,’ and what they mean by that is, if something important needs to said, then The Tenmours won’t hesitate to say it – with as much strength and commitment as it takes to get the world to listen.
The Tenmours first came to our notice with their September 2023 single, the powerful – epic, even – Eco Freak, the band’s manifesto for eco-warriors everywhere. You may recall that Eco Freak was released during the very week that Rishi Sunak decided that soft-peddling on the UK’s Net Zero commitments was a sound, sensible and vote-winning (or derisive, if sarcasm isn’t your thing…) idea. They’ve since performed the song in front of the Houses of Parliament – during the largest climate protest in UK history – to widespread public and critical acclaim.
The Tenmours’ new single – their first specially-designated ‘Christmas’ release – was written in 2022 as a dedication to the Ukrainian people displaced from their homeland, who have found new homes in our local communities. The song’s original title was Ukraine Song but, since 2022, there have been many other innocent people in other parts of the world who have suffered terribly as a result of war – those affected by the Gaza/ Israel conflict come particularly to mind – and The Tenmours have extended the song’s message to include all such victims.
We Are Listening is a gentle piano ballad – a million miles away from the strident riffage and guitar soloing of Eco Freak – but it’s no less powerful in its messaging. Alex sings like a choirboy and the graceful bowed and plucked cello (from guest Sarah Smout) and David Bullock’s sublime clarinet add to the peaceful Christmas feel of the song. Alex’s lyrics are set in the Market Square of his Skipton hometown, where a busker delivers his message to the displaced thousands: “Think of your home – you’re not on your own. We hear what you’re singing, we’re here, we’re listening.” It’s a heartfelt and anthemic message of peace and community – just what we need this year, of all years.
I’ll leave the final words to Alex: “We Are Listening speaks of what I’m sure many of us are feeling about the world at the moment, and is a personal song that details my emotions when watching the news, thinking about my home, and imagining theirs under attack. In sharing the song with local refugees, I have made new connections in my community, and I am honoured to have represented some of them via their signatures and messages of love and peace on the jacket that I wore at the recent TMF [Tour Music Fest – the biggest European Music Contest for emerging artists in which Alex competed earlier this month.]
Listen to Escape Of The Naturist – a track from The Tenmours’ 2022 EP, Maze – here:
The Tenmours online: Official Website / Facebook / Instagram / X (formerly Twitter) / YouTube / Bandcamp
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Categories: Single Review
