How the music community is fighting the climate crisis

A NEW PODCAST SPEAKS TO INSPIRING PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE MUSIC WORLD TAKING URGENT ACTION

EPISODE ONE + SERIES TRAILER OUT NOW

Key info:

• Listen on all major podcast platforms including: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google + more

• Series One guests include: Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien, The 1975’s manager Jamie Oborne, Heidi Lenffer founder of Future Energy Artists, Reading + Leeds festival boss Melvin Benn, and more 

• Launches Tuesday 6 April, with new episodes released weekly 

• Interviewees join hosts Fay Milton (from Savages and co-founder of Music Declares Emergency) and music journalist and podcaster Greg Cochrane 

The climate crisis is the most urgent issue facing our planet right now and the music world is stepping up. From one of the biggest bands in the world, The 1975, seeking ways to make their touring sustainable, through to our best known festivals trying to drive down their carbon footprint, Sounds Like A Plan is the compelling new podcast series shining a light on the important ways the music world is taking action.  

Hosted by music journalist and broadcaster Greg Cochrane, and Savages drummer and co-founder of Music Declares Emergency Fay Milton, the series launches ahead of Earth Day on 22 April and in a year of huge significance on the future of the planet, with the UN’s COP 26 summit in November and us all starting to navigate our own ‘new normal’. 

Each episode chats to an inspiring climate advocate from the music community, with interviews packed with newsworthy stories and incredible insight: The 1975’s eye-opening experience collaborating with Greta Thunberg, reimagining their global touring in the post-pandemic age and greening a successful record label (Jamie Oborne, episode 4); how the festival boss with a conscience is striving to make mass events more sustainable and kinder to the environment (Melvin Benn, episode 7); artist Ed O’Brien discussing how Radiohead have used their influential platform to champion the preservation of our natural ecosystems for 20+ years and where they’ll go next (episode 2); one rapper’s experience of how ground-level conservation projects are bringing city communities together in action (KAM-BU, episode 6); the organisation providing the music world with the all-important data in order to act (Chiara Badiali from Julie’s Bicycle, episode 3), and even how a group of musicians have teamed up to build a renewable solar energy farm (Heidi Lenffer, episode 5).

Podcast co-host Greg Cochrane says: “The action taking place across the music universe is inspiring, energising and, above all, urgently needed right now. We know about Billie Eilish and Coldplay, but it’s not just those in front of the microphone creating positive change. Sounds Like A Plan is a place for people throughout the music community to share their passion for climate action and how they’re harnessing the transformative power of music culture.” 

Fay Milton, Sounds Like A Plan, co-host says: “The world is aware and anxious about the climate and the ecological destruction that we are experiencing. There are so many great initiatives going on throughout music that are bringing positive change in this space. Now it’s time to get the conversation going and get together to tell those in power that we need urgent action. Anything I can do to add my voice to that I will. It’s been so inspiring to connect with our amazing guests and hear about all of the initiatives that are taking place.”

Guests on series 1 include:

Ep 1 (6 April): Fay Milton, Savages and co-founder of Music Declares Emergency

Ep 2: Ed O’Brien, Radiohead guitarist and climate activist 

Ep 3: Chiara Badiali, from Julie’s Bicycle, a charity that supports creatives to act on climate change environmental sustainability 

Ep 4: Jamie Oborne, manager of The 1975 and CEO of Dirty Hit Records

Ep 5: Heidi Lenffer, keyboardist in Cloud Control and founder of Future Energy Artists 

Ep 6: KAM-BU, rapper and conservationist

Ep 7: Melvin Benn, Managing Director of Festival Republic, which includes Reading + Leeds, Latitude and more 

Ep 8 (25 May): TBC