2015 seemed like a simple time. Brexit wasn't an issue. The biggest issue in politics before the general election was Ed Miliband eating a sandwich. It was after the election that politics would face an absolutely monumental change. The 2015 general election saw the Conservative party's David Cameron elected as Prime Minister. David vowed that if he became PM he would hold an EU referendum, and staying in the EU relied on the will of the British public. When it was announced that for some reason, we decided to leave the EU, David decided that someone else should do the work and he resigned, which led to another big change for British politics, and consequently, the election of the Conservative Party's Theresa May.

​

'But what does this all have to do with music?' I hear you say. Well, friends, quite a bit actually. 

​

Musicians generally hadn't been involved in politics much since the 80's, when a lot of the popular music at the time was punk, and the way the government (Margaret Thatcher) was running things at the time didn't quite sit well with them. They voiced their gripes with the government in their music, and in turn, influenced and educated fans. When she was succeeded by John Major, punk and died down a bit and people seemed to have less beef with the government. 

​

Fast forward to 2015, David has decided to let the public decide if we should stay in the EU. While some people may not thing this is a big deal - for musicians, it was huge. Being in the EU means freedom of movement for us, which means it's easier for them to tour, which is especially important if you're a small band with not a lot of money. Being in the EU culturally is also a huge deal, bands like Spector (cue: Born in the EU) pride themselves on having an 'EU identity' rather than a British one. Being in the EU also has an impact on streaming and music releases, again, more important for smaller bands who struggle to be heard.

​

This all led to artists from the UK campaigning for a remain vote. This time, it wasn't just punk or rock music. Many artists, regardless of genre, used their platforms to try and persuade fans to vote to remain in the EU. Through songs, gigs, social media, and more, musicians in the UK played a part in both educating younger voters who otherwise may not have been politically aware, and in encouraging them to vote in the 2016 referendum.

​

When it was announced that we had voted to leave the EU, the campaign wasn't over for musicians. If anything, their voice only got louder. Another general election was called in 2017, and this time, it was pretty much Theresa May vs Jeremy Corbyn. Corbyn received a LOT of backing from musicians. Historically, politics has mainly been Labour vs Conservative, with the Liberal Democrats popping up every now and again. Labour tends to be the favourite between the two when it comes to creatives - they care about the arts whereas the Conservatives would generally make cuts. People also believed that Jeremy Corbyn could fix the mess brought about by Brexit (by undoing it), and so he was who musicians were pointing to.

​

If you were a Labour supporter and a music fan, Spring/Summer 2017 was a glorious time to be alive. Your favourite artists would be supporting Jeremy, calling Theresa a paigon, and chants of 'OHH JEREMY CORBYN' could be heard up and down the country.

​

Although Jeremy lost, music had an impact on politics. It had fans engaged in politics, and in doing so, managed to achieve a few changes. Impact is still impact, and the conversation between music and politics continues. 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​