Innocence Parts 1 & 2

Peter Garrett

An emotional, observational mash up; a cry from the heart about living in the climate emergency.

Why I wrote this song

“I wanted to try and fit all my thoughts about the climate crisis in a song that was both very personal but also a form of reportage that looked hard at what was actually going on. I wanted to name, describe and criticise the anti earth values that seem so pervasive.

By decrying the greed and desire that sees us trying, ridiculously, to escape the ecological boundaries of earth, and calling out those in power who hold responsibility for an overheating world, enabling the madness, I was hoping to unfog the window a bit, whilst highlighting the indomitable, good spirit of humans who don’t put themselves first, and are the antidote to selfish ecocide.”

About me as an artist

Peter Garrett is one of our most prominent living Australians. A renowned activist, former politician, and lead singer of Midnight Oil is a long-time campaigner on a range of local and global issues. He served as president of the Australian Conservation Foundation for two terms, which saw significant additions to natural protected areas, and the ACF grow into this country’s leading national environment organisation.

He is the only Australian politician to receive the ‘Leaders for a Living Planet’ award from the World Wildlife Fund and is a member of the Order of Australia for his contributions to the music industry and environment.

Following the release of Peter’s 2015 memoir “Big Blue Sky”, he returned to making music with his acclaimed debut solo album, “A Version Of Now”. In 2017 he and Midnight Oil regrouped after a 15 year absence for “The Great Circle” tour, playing 77 shows in 16 countries around the world. The band then recorded two new albums – “The Makarrata Project” (with First Nations Collaborators), and “Resist” – which each reached #1 on the ARIA charts. Across 2022 the Oils did their final concert tour, calling for social justice and environmental sustainability.

In March 2024 Peter released his second solo album “The True North”; a deeply personal reflection on his singular journey, drawing inspiration and sustenance from the living colours of Australia’s natural environment and the sights and sounds of modern Oz.

About the music video

“We wanted to capture the inherent light and shade that Innocence Part 1 & 2 inspires.

Part 1 begins in colour, intercutting fervent performance footage of Peter Garrett with contrasting found imagery showing frenetic symbols of consumerism paired with vignettes of humanity and the natural world.

In direct contrast, we transition into Innocence Part 2 by way of AI imagined environmental disasters. The colour is drained to leave us with raw and truthful black and white performance, and through intimate close ups and direct eye contact, we see an introspective and contemplative Peter Garrett.

Towards the end of Part 2, we introduce a scene showing new growth and colour breaking through cracked and damaged concrete, echoing the hope found in the lyrics.”

The environmental organisations I admire or support

I can’t overstate how important I think environment organisations working to protect nature and hold power accountable are. I’ve worked with and supported many over time including: The Australian Conservation Foundation, Greenpeace, and in the ‘True North’; Environs Kimberley, Cairns and Far North Queensland Environment Centre, and The Environment Centre of the NT. The last three I particularly admire as they have to contend with huge challenges in remote Australia without a lot of support from down south. I also admire activist groups like Rising Tide who are prepared to go out peacefully and physically oppose the fossil fuel industry that is hell bent on frying the planet.