Thollem delivers an important civic message in his new video “When You Go Out To Vote.” Thollem McDonas is an experimental keybordist/pianist whose prolific discography includes nearly 60 album releases featuring collaborations with over a hundred different musicians including artists like Nels Cline, Mike Watt, John Dieterich and Sara Lund–to name a few. In our interview with the classically trained pianist from earlier this year, he explained:
“I spent much of my 20’s living out of a backpack and sleeping bag, mostly involved in grassroots politics, anti-war and environmental activism.”
Continuing this socio-political engagement into his adult life, Thollem’s music and art first came to our attention when he and his partner, the photographer/documentarian ACVilla, began their audio/visual project Who Are U.S.. Traveling around the country during the lead up to the 2016 presidential election, the pair’s travels were chronicled by a 90-minute movie as well as Thollem’s 3-disc soundtrack available thru Aural Films. Discussing that project, the musician explained:
“Who Are U.S. was an idea that came about because of the Presidential Elections. I realized that elections are really about who we are, our history and where we’re going. There’s a lot of fiction involved written by the candidates and the media. ACVilla and I decided we wanted to go throughout all 48 states to document what we found and challenge our own assumptions. The main focus developed into the place where people meet each other and our environment. We started thinking of it as if we were aliens, how do you really get to know and understand and express a country as big and diverse as the U.S. It’s not easy, and it was really exhausting. It was kind of the ultimate improvisation and process piece really.”
McDonas says that “When You Go Out To Vote” might be the “poppiest song I’ve ever written,” before adding, “It felt good to do something fun…Most of my songs are so serious, this was kind of liberating.” The track features Thollem on vocals with Rod Hohl on guitar and Ravish Momin on e-drums. The video for the cut was conceived and assembled by Thollem and ACVilla and it finds them, as well as a host of friends and compatriots, reminding us that the strength of our democracy relies on us exercising our right to vote. With so much at stake in 2018, voting is more than a right–it is our civic duty!
