Warrior

Meraki Mae

A community-driven plea for climate justice

Why I wrote this song

As a young person I was raised in Lismore, NSW, a town rich with a history of climate activism and with a deep connection to the natural world surrounding it. It is also a town that has experienced floods and climate disasters since before colonisation.

I have watched the way that this vibrant town has been torn apart, and risen in the face of adversity, supporting one another through climate grief, disaster, loss and struggle, to demand change and justice.

This passion, this leadership, this deep connection and care, and the hope it represented, is what drove me to write this song ‘Warrior’. It is a song I dedicate to the First Nations voices that drive our fight for a better future, by acknowledging the past. It is a song for us all, to remind us that the earth is our home, to care for and protect. It is a song aimed to empower and to remind us that together, we are capable of great change.

About me as an artist

Unashamedly queer, trans-non-binary, Meraki Mae is an Australian based Funk-Folk singer-songwriter whose captivating vocals and unique storytelling inspire, celebrate and uplift. Mae’s celebrated 2020 release, ‘Purple Flowers’ was nationally and internationally recognised with air time on Triple J, PBS and ABC.

Meraki has toured across Australia playing with notable Australian artists William Crighton, Kodivine, Jex Lopez, KMAY, Bronte Eve and Lucy Francesca Dron. In 2022 Meraki released their debut album ‘Mother Dearest’, a sonic tribute to their home of Lismore, NSW.

About the music video

The 4 minute video clip heavily features news clips and local footage from the Lismore flood as well as video clips from the 2016 documentary ‘The Bentley Effect’ directed by Brandon Shoebridge.

I wanted the film clip to address the climate catastrophe of the floods but more than that I wanted to show that our community is resilient, strong and will not be ignored, just like we were not ignored at the Bentley Blockade in 2013/14. I wanted to show that it is our ability to love and support each other in the face of adversity that makes us warriors. That together we have the strength to create change.

Released on ‘International day of disaster risk reduction’. Produced and edited by me, with the permission of involved persons such as Brandon Shoebridge, the film clip was a statement about the ongoing inaction of the government to not only respond to climate disasters but also prevent them by acting on climate change.