Press: Bay Area performing duo Emma’s Revolution is available to talk about their COVID-19 song parody "From a (Social) Distance." Please consider posting or playing the song/video. Please direct all inquiries to me; thank you for your consideration.
Steve Indig - steve@steveindigpr.com 415.577.3656
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COVID-19 SONG PARODY “FROM A (SOCIAL) DISTANCE”
IS ONLINE HIT FOR EMMA’S REVOLUTION
Bay Area singing duo’s charming video, made during shelter in place, inspires with humor
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(Oakland, CA) The performing duo known as Emma’s Revolution have created a parody song and accompanying video that is an online hit, providing some much-needed inspiration and laughter during the COVID-19 pandemic. “From a (Social) Distance” is based on the original song by Julie Gold, recorded by Bette Midler in 1990, that now takes on the unprecedented disruption of daily life taking place around the globe, with a grin and sense of determination:
“From a distance, we will stop this thing
It’s already really grim
From a distance, we’ll make the best of things
While social-distancing”
The video being viewed on Facebook and YouTube is up to more than 135,000 views as of mid-April, very exciting for these independent activist artists, dedicated to using their work as motivation to fuel today's resistance movements. The song gives clever reminders to maintain social distancing and wash your hands, while also calling out #TrumpsStillAnIdiot and pointing out the need for intelligent and proper leadership. The close of the video and its online posts encourage support for farmworker women who are among the least visible of the essential workers right now, and who are on the frontlines of this crisis – donations are encouraged to Alianza Nacional De Campesinas, the first national farmworker women’s organization, at alianzanacionaldecampesinas.org.
“From a (Social) Distance” on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emmasrevolution/videos/1673803036107788
“From a (Social) Distance” on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SwvJ5qrhFA
“This is a great and timely rendition of my song…. Ironic that it was written to bring people together. We can still love each from a distance, maybe even more so than ever now, from a social distance. Beautiful heartfelt harmonies.” — Grammy-award-winning, singer-songwriter Julie Gold
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MEDIA OPPORTUNITY: Pat Humphries & Sandy O. of Emma's Revolution are available for interview and media appearances. The song and video are available for posts and airplay.
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Click here to view hit video “From a (Social) Distance” by Emma’s Revolution
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Emma’s Revolution’s gigs started being postponed or cancelled due to COVID-19 in mid-March and quickly the whole season’s performances disappeared. “It was terrifying” said Humphries. “Spring is our busiest touring season and suddenly we had no money coming in for the foreseeable future.” And like most independent artists, the duo had no income to fall back on. “We had to think quickly and get ourselves up to speed on tech so we could start performing and teaching online.” Anyone who’s been on a Zoom call (and who hasn’t?) knows the limitations of its sound capabilities. Sheltering-in-place together, the duo is lucky to be able to retain their characteristic sound, even in these strange new times.
“‘From a Distance’ was an obvious choice for a rewrite in these times," says Sandy O, “as we all sit in our homes, connecting only through social media. The line ‘from a distance, there is harmony and it echoes over Zoom’ made us laugh and clinched that we needed to finish this rewrite.”
Activists like Emma’s Revolution see the coronavirus outbreak in a larger framework. “This pandemic is spotlighting so many issues progressives have been fighting for for decades. Like the need for universal health care that is not tied to our jobs or our income because, as we’ve just seen, that access can evaporate in an instant,” Sandy explained. “And we need a sustainable, minimum wage,” Pat continued, “especially for the workers who we now understand as ‘essential’ and who are working without protection, making life sustainable for those of us who are able to stay home.” The lyrics of the third verse were inspired by this perspective and by a Facebook post that said, “If we do this right, we’ll never go back to normal.” To that end, the duo included a call-to-action in the video for “Rise for Farmworker Women on the Frontlines of the COVID-19 Pandemic”, a campaign spearheaded by One Billion Rising, the activist organization founded by Tony Award winning playwright, performer, and activist V (formerly Eve Ensler). The campaign raises awareness and funds for Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, the first national farmworker women’s organization, at alianzanacionaldecampesinas.org.
A homespun project made in a friend’s house in Woodland, where they are sheltering-in-place, the duo sent the audio to sound engineer Daryn Roven and video editor Sara St Martin Lynne (both in Oakland) for post-production. As the duo credits in their video, "If it looks or sounds beautiful, it’s thanks to Sara & Daryn. If it’s wonky, it’s thanks to us and our first go at recording and videoing at home.”
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MORE ON “FROM A (SOCIAL) DISTANCE”
“Our work has always been about building connection, love and justice through song. What started with a parody line that made us laugh became an opportunity for us to reach through the social distance of this time. We’re glad so many folks had a much-needed laugh and we’re honored to know that they have found it a source of joy and inspiration.” — Pat Humphries & Sandy O. of Emma's Revolution
“No surprise, considering your past achievements, but a brilliant extension of Julie Gold’s magical song, swirling together wit, warmth, hope and important messages. Bravo, and big hugs...” – Bob Sherman, founder and host of NYC’s legendary folk radio program, “Woody’s Children”
“From 2020 B.V. (before the end of the virus), please enjoy the insanely brilliant (and heretofore unknown to me) Emma's Revolution and their obviously wildly pertinent update of Julie Gold’s oft-covered folkie classic “From a (Social) Distance.” Seriously. That is just freaking brilliant -- funny, touching, gorgeously sung, and it couldn't have come at a better moment.” – Steve Simels’ PowerPop blog
“How Emma’s Revolution this is -- funny, persuasive, memorable, moving...and that gorgeous harmony!! You're helping us not only survive this, but grow from it! <3” — JB S. on Facebook
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ABOUT EMMA’S REVOLUTION
Emma's Revolution is the dynamic, award-winning duo of Pat Humphries & Sandy O. Their songs have been sung for the Dalai Lama, covered by Holly Near, and praised by Pete Seeger, who was their friend and mentor. With beautiful harmonies and genre-defying eclecticism, the duo delivers the energy and strength of their convictions, in an uprising of truth and hope for these tumultuous times. With a core sound featuring their signature exquisite harmonies and acoustic guitars, the duo’s songs span styles from folk to jazz and funk to rock. In the spirit of activist Emma Goldman’s famous attribution, “If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be part of your revolution,” Emma’s Revolution brings their uprising of truth and hope to concerts, festivals, conferences and justice events. The duo has given thousands of performances throughout the US and around the world in Canada, Chile, Korea, Scotland, England, Israel, Palestine, Nicaragua and Cuba.
Other Emma's Revolution songs that comment on the state of our society, and encourage calls to action, including the stunningly powerful “I Believe Her”, written in support of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, Dr. Anita Hill and all survivors; and “Trumpty Dumpty” written for the SF rally of the Day of Action opposing President Trump’s national emergency declaration in February 2019. Their songs’ messages resonate with a broad audience and are receiving media praise, radio play and increasing social media sharing.
Emma’s Revolution are winners of the Grand Prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and the first Phil Ochs Award. Their music has been featured on NPR’s All Things Considered and Pacifica’s Democracy Now. The duo were featured performers at the Parliament of the World’s Religions, performing to an audience of 10,000, and are contributors to the Grammy-nominated CDs,
Singing Through the Hard Times – A Tribute to Utah Phillips and
Seeds: The Songs of Pete Seeger Vol 3. The duo’s latest CD,
Revolution Now, includes the Pete Seeger tribute “Sing People Sing” and garnered top acclaim from folk radio stations across the country: Top Artist #20 (after Joan Baez), Top Album #24 (after Bela Fleck) and Top Song #25 “Sing People Sing” (after Rhiannon Giddens). The recording covers issues from reproductive justice to refugees and Black Lives Matter to the sustaining power of love and includes a beautiful setting of Woody Guthrie’s plaintive lyric, “Revolutionary Mind”, one of the many lyrics Woody left behind without an existing melody.
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“Fervent and heartfelt” - New York Times
‘The powers that be can control the media but it’s hard to stop a good song... Pat’s songs will be sung well into the 22nd century.” - Pete Seeger (All Things Considered, NPR)
“Beauty, power and ferocity all mixed together with love and hope.” - Deb Andersen (The Wimmin’s Show, KZUM)
“Emma’s Revolution invokes Woody Guthrie and the revolutionary
mind on
Revolution Now, a rocking new album brimming
with songs that inspire, enlighten and unify.”
—-Mary Sue Twohy (The Village, SiriusXM)
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