Blog Action Day: A Greener Music Industry

Archangel Green is the first ever UK Record Label fully committed to a greener music industry. Their studio is powered by a green tariff provider, and when band “The Phoenix Rose” signed to the label they both agreed to numerous clauses aimed at making the production, performance and distribution of their music as environmentally friendly as possible. A 100% digital release, it sets new standards for how music can be produced and distributed in an environmentally friendly way, bringing the green agenda right into the center of popular culture.

This post is part of Blog Action Day 2009, a worldwide initiative started by Envato founders Collis and Cyan Ta’eed, now being run by Change.org. Blog Action Day exists to change the conversation on the web for one day by uniting thousands of bloggers around one important issue – this year, Climate Change. It’s not too late to register your blog and participate.

Collis explains how the concept for Blog Action Day came about:

It’s important to know where a person is at their most effective. If you stick a doctor in a soup kitchen to peel potatoes, you aren’t really maximizing that person’s effectiveness. That is, you could get a lot more effect by having them helping the sick and ailing and putting someone who knows more about kitchens in to replace them on the potato front.

When we created Blog Action Day it was designed to maximize our skill sets. We sat down and said what can a bunch of bloggers and web developers do that doesn’t effectively have them peeling potatoes? How can we use the web to do something that involves social action?

So how can music makers and producers help the environment? Archangel Green (the label) and Phoenix Rose (the band) are answering that question:

They use a green tariff provider for their electricity. In the UK and most Western countries, about two thirds of the electricity is generated by burning coal and gas in power stations. This releases millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide, the main gas responsible for climate change. Green tariff electricity is much healthier for the environment.

The Green Electricity Marketplace explains: “Green electricity means electricity produced from sources which do not cause these impacts upon the environment. Of course, every type of electricity generation will have some impact, but some sources are much greener than others. The cleanest energy sources are those which utilise the natural energy flows of the Earth. These are usually known as renewable energy sources, because they will never run out.”

They distribute digitally. Being released solely in digital format, the distribution of the release will be far more environmentally friendly when compared to CD releases, as it requires no physical transportation, manufactured raw materials or packaging.

They promote the green agenda. Archangel Green are partners and promoters of the UK´s leading sustainable festival Waveform, and provide money saving greener energy via the Real People Power free renewable energy comparison and switching tool.

Phoenix Rose are also pushing the green agenda through their lyrics, their online presence, and insisting on a green recording label. Have a look at their Facebook and Myspace pages to see what I’m talking about. Also, 10% of the profits from the single Sick and Tired will be donated to The Big Issue.”

They put their commitment to the environment in writing in their contracts. Numerous clauses were added to the contract between Archangel Green and Phoenix Rose, aimed at making the production, performance and distribution of their music as environmentally friendly as possible. Here is an excerpt of the contract:

The Artist The Phoenix Rose agrees to:

carbon offset travel to live gigs and recordings

use a green energy tariff for recording

produce no CD’s other than for promotion purposes unless they are encased in sustainable packaging

where possible use enviro-friendly products and clothing

apply pressure to venues to proactively publish public travel links and switch to green energy tariff

What does a green song sound like? Here is Phoenix Rose’s Sick and Tired:

In an interview with Daisy Green Magazine, Phoenix Rose’s Jarvis Smith explains where the lyrics came from:

The lyrics tend to just come to me. I like to think that I have some ‘Angelic Songwriters’ who help me to get the lyrics down. The songs I write are for the people, they tap into the way that societies are controlled, we need to reconnect with the laws of nature. Sick and Tired is a call to people who are bored of dictatorship, being controlled and manipulated by those who make the decisions. Music is one way that we can stick together and take strong, but peaceful action. We all want things to be better, a sustainable future for everyone. My daughter is only 14 months old and I am inspired to do something for her and my other kids.

How is the music industry going as a whole when it comes to being environmentally responsible? Archangel Green has just started to lead the way, and as yet I’m not convinced a lot of other labels are following—yet. Their approach is common sense, practical, and achievable.

Digital distribution is certainly becoming more common, and helping by reducing overheads, removing recycling issues, requiring no packaging, and saving paper that would have been used in promotional materials. What else can the labels and artists do for the environment? How can musicians make the world a greener place? Let us know in the comments.