It’s difficult to pinpoint just one chapter of The Outlaw Ocean that impacted me most, but I’d have to say the most mind-boggling was David George Mndolwa’s story of stowing away in “Jail Without Bars.” The degradation of human life in the decision to place Mndolwa and his friend on a raft after their discovery simply because it was cheaper shocked me, but it shocked me even more to read Mndolwa tell Ian he would do it all over again for a shot at a better life elsewhere.

I have a platform as an artist and, as such, I think it’s my civic duty to use that platform for the better. It’s not always clear cut and easy to use your art for positive change in the world, but the least we can do is to take advantage of opportunities we encounter to speak truth to power through our music and alert our fanbase to issues like those Ian reports on in The Outlaw Ocean. It’s not always easy, but it’s necessary. 

I approached The Outlaw Ocean Music Project as if I was creating a mini-album from the perspective of a seafarer. Mirroring my idyllic outlook of the ocean when I first became involved with the project, the album starts off in a romanticized way with the longing of a seaman wanting to return to the open water. Then it slowly becomes darker and darker, reflecting how my perceptions changed as I continued reading.

Locked Groove