The “Sea Slavery” chapter in The Outlaw Ocean opened my eyes to the awful, inhumane acts that were taking place in our lawless oceans. After watching the mini docu-series on The New York Times website, this chapter intrigued me because I was in just such pure disbelief. It moved me the most because it terrified me the most, and it made me want to do anything and everything I could to help. 

In creating my compositions, I actually aimed for a more lighthearted tone in exploring themes of love, betrayal, longing for family, and homesickness. While I aimed for lightheartedness, there was still a certain melancholy that ran through the two songs. I never wanted to take away from the main motive behind the piece but I didn’t want it to be overtly serious either. The lighter tone of the songs, for me, allow for a more comic, cinematic, and stylized look at the contents of the book. The use of the radio sample adds on to this interplay between lightheartedness and tension. I want to bring attention to Ian’s book and the urgent issues with our oceans, but do it through music that doesn’t feel confrontational but emotive. For my small but passionate fan base, I hope it inspires thoughts of change and opens up a conversation about The Outlaw Ocean.

Late June