Almost exactly 33 years after Midnight Oil first struck it big with “Beds Are Burning,” they’re back with their first song in 17 years. After announcing their upcoming mini-LP, The Makarrata Project, “Gadigal Land” is the first sampling of what fans can expect from the October release.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Midnight Oil tune without some politically-charged activism, so the new track comes with a heavy message from the band.
“We’ve always been happy to lend our voice to those who call for racial justice, but it really feels like we’ve reached a tipping point,” the band said in a statement. “We urge the federal government to heed the messages in the Uluru Statement From The Heart and act accordingly. Hopefully this song and ‘The Makarrata Project’ mini-album we’ve created alongside our First Nations friends can help shine a bit more light on the urgent need for genuine reconciliation in this country and in many other places too.
“After centuries of struggle for recognition and justice, 2017’s Uluru Statement called for the establishment of a ‘First Nations Voice’ enshrined in the Australian Constitution and the establishment of a ‘Makarrata Commission’ to supervise agreement-making and truth-telling between governments and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,” the band continued. “We will donate our share of any proceeds received from this release to organisations which seek to elevate The Uluru Statement From The Heart in particular and Indigenous reconciliation more broadly (ulurustatement.org). Sony Music Entertainment Australia will match any artist contribution.”
Check out the new track below.