Journalism has the ability to reach deeper into places the average person cannot or would not go, revealing depths and stories that would otherwise go untold. But to go beyond the surface requires us as consumers to intentionally shift our focus and seek out the truths of these complex issues. To be impactful, it needs our attention, our curious minds and, certainly, our compassion. Using music and art, you can break down language barriers and enable freedom of interpretation to an individual that helps make some of those abstract ideas easier to understand and communicate to others. 

Each individual person has morals and values that are important to them, that they then impress on others. Thus it’s our responsibility to make the issues explored by Ian in The Outlaw Ocean part of that discourse, such as the lack of value towards human life. The idea that laborers and individuals are almost disposable, and the loneliness they must feel, framed the story behind this song. We used the audio of whale songs, which is the tool of communication for these extremely social creatures, to establish a depth of emotion. It is our hope that through The Outlaw Ocean Project they do not go unheard. In some small way, we wanted to capture and restore the voices of those that have been lost to or stolen by the sea and for their stories to finally be known.

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