Melodic Machinations -Lyrically Speaking : Evidence of a Struggle by Evidence of a Struggle

Thursday, 3 August 2023

Evidence of a Struggle by Evidence of a Struggle

Necessity was the inspiration for the first Evidence of a Struggle album. It still very much is. I believe I said earlier that the themes and messages are to open our eyes. There’s so much information blasting us every day in every way. I think a lot of us have had to shut it down for our own mental and physical well-being. I don’t think that’s doing us any favors. I think the themes and messages I'm exploring is our shutting down, anger, violence, sadness, war, pain, and life. You know? We might want to figure out a way to remedy our current situation/situations rather than sitting idly by looking for a good seat to watch it all go down. Or maybe the music and images might help encourage someone to try and change something. You know? It's ultimately your choice, and choice can be a good or bad thing. We might not always make choices that benefit ourselves or others. Personally, I had to get what was flooding into my head out in a way that wasn’t harmful to myself or others. At the end of the day, I think maybe the music could help encourage someone to wake up and do something. I couldn’t just shut my eyes and ears and sit. So, I made an album. Some people don’t want to listen, so we put some visuals in there to help everyone tune in.

Rev. Billy of Evidence of a Struggle

Recorded in Multi-instrumentalist William PC Simmons V a.k.a Rev. Billy Simmons home studio, The Glue Factory, the self titled debut album of the band Evidence of a Struggle is a powerful musical journey that delves into the depths of human emotions. Delivering a raw and unfiltered experience this album explores themes ranging from anger, violence and sadness to the realities of war, pain and apathy while giving a hopeful glimmer about the beauty that life can achieve. The tracks evoke a range of emotions through a powerful blend of instruments and dynamic arrangements. Haunting melodies and evocative rhythms combine to create a cohesive narrative of introspection and empowerment.

The album has an animated six chapter audio visual story board which Rev Billy explains as

“The concept of the animated videos began as a conversation between John Airo and myself about incorporating some visuals into the music. At first, I didn’t know if John would want to work on the stuff with me. I needed to find out if he would have any resonance with the music, then go from there. If he didn’t feel like anything resonated with him artistically, we didn’t see the point of having us move forward with disconnected visuals. I felt like we had to have a connection. I don't think you can force a relationship like that. It either exists or doesn't for the collaboration to work. John listened to the music I had so far, it seemed to resonate with him, and the images he put down on canvas and screen at the beginning of the Evidence of a Struggle project portrayed what the music was saying visually. And that connection is still solid, and we're working on the following two albums currently. I think the hopes for both of us are for people to open their eyes and ears. To do something.”

Overall the album Evidence of a Struggle is a compelling testament to the power of music to ignite change and inspire action.