2019
Simple Truths

This song uses the parallel lives of two lives to explore privilege.

The first child is based on a story I heard of a young boy who fled from the Sahel region of West Africa to the North African coast to travel to Europe. To avoid getting arrested, the smugglers who were running the boat designated him the captain. At 15, he would not face criminal conviction so it was 'safer' for him to be in charge of the boat.

The other story is of a European child from a well-off background who has been taken sailing since they were a small child. Now 16, they stand poised to head out to see alone for the first time.

Lampedusa is an Italian island and one of the closest parts of Europe to North Africa

To be respectful to those who have lost their lives trying to enter Europe by see, I have kept the song simple and stayed away from writing about the dangerous crossing directly.... (Continues)