It’s been just over one year since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Out of that chaos, there were many voices. And some of those voices chose to sing.
“We’re pagan, We’re pro-choice and we’re proud.”
-ALANE BROWN, CO-PRODUCER
The Red Album is a musical protest. Pagan artists from all over the country joined together as one to deliver a message in support of abortion access.
A total of 19 artists, bands, and songwriters are featured, each donating one song to this collaborative album. Every song is new, written and recorded with this specific compilation in mind, never having been previously released anywhere else. The proceeds of the album are being donated to the National Abortion Federation and Elevated Access. What a labor of love!
It’s available to stream, and we’ll talk about that in a minute. But really, why wouldn’t you just buy it to help support this cause?
The Red Album: Pagan Voices for Reproductive Rights is a compilation album to raise money to support abortion access and reproductive/human rights organizations.
The album’s official release date was June 24th, 2023. You can support the cause by purchasing it on bandcamp for $15 — that’s less than $1 per song. Bandcamp will let you stream the album for free, eventually giving you a brief reminder that you’ve listened long enough and should probably just buy it.
Out of the 20 total tracks (19 + 1 bonus), the crowning jewel is certainly S. J. Tucker’s “Devil at the Door.” It sounds like grungy bluegrass and for some reason that always hits me in my core. It’s so good, in fact, that The Red Album gives it to you twice: an explicit version and a bonus clean version. For the rest of the album, you’ll find a wide assortment of styles (hip hop, rock, instrumental, country, etc). Some songs are chants, invocations, or petitions to deity, while others tell a story or personal narrative. But all of them share a common message of unity.
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Lyric Spotlight
“And you’ll never see me until it’s too late”
02 – S. J. Tucker – Devil at the Door (explicit version)
“When they say you’re bound for hell, well, tell ’em you’re the Queen.”
03 – Crow Women – How Dare You!
“How dare you try to challenge the Goddess”
04 – Celia Farran – The Power of the Goddess
“The Power of the Goddess in Me.”
05 – Brian Henke – Like a Bird She Flew
“Like a bird she flew into the wind”
06 – Pan Fried – A Song for Emmeline
“an abortion was not a choice”
07 – Spiral Rhythm – Mother Of
“Justice! Equality! Freedom! Autonomy!”
08 – Meren King – Goddess Calling
“Fill us with your fierceness, bring forth our warrior queens”
“Roe vs Wade, human rights denied.”
10 – Kira Lang – Hands Off! Bans Off!
“Gotta keep ya hands off, bans off me!”
11 – Richard Williamson – The Endless Road
“For peace we must turn back their road”
“Wake up their temples are ashes. They’ve burned… (to the ground)”
13 – Alexander James Adams – Hypocratic Oath
“Your oath and mine have not been spelled the same!”
14 – Krista Chapman Green – Pull the Parachutes
“When will you ever realize, That from my breath sprung all of life?”
“I take all my power back from you”
16 – Louis Garou – Nothing Holy but the Blood
“When troubles come, it’s like a flood.”
17 – Sydney Michael – My Body Is Mine
“Kissing ass, holding back my sass, While they take everything from me”
18 – Primal Rhythm/Sue Balaschak – Its About Choice-Empowered Serenity
(this is an instrumental)
19 – Mr. E – Goddess, Help Them
“Do they think we will not fight?”
20 – BONUS TRACK (digital only) S. J. Tucker – Devil at the Door (squeaky clean version)
“Well, not a shock ‘cause you know they’d have said it anyway.”
Personal Note: I much prefer the explicit version.
Inception to Reality
Pulling back the curtain a bit, it seems the project’s inception took place at Pagan Spirit Gathering in 2022, where many of the artists were in attendance. When they heard the news about Roe v. Wade being overturned, they decided to do something about it. A GoFundMe campaign was eventually started, which raised its total goal of $12,000 in just one month. It’s still open for more donations.
One year later, The Red Album was born, with its official release date being the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision.
All the proceeds from the sale of the album will go to the National Abortion Federation and Elevated Access. The mission of the National Abortion Federation is to unite, represent, serve, and support abortion providers in delivering patient-centered, evidence-based care. Elevated Access, launched in April 2022, is a volunteer pilot network that flies people in private aircraft at no cost to access abortion and gender-affirming care.
The album’s cover art features a sigil designed by Laura Temptest Zakroff, which was created during a virtual workshop in 2021. One of the first suggested applications is to use the sigil in protests, so it seems incredibly appropriate that it was given such a focal point on The Red Album.
The Reproductive Rights Sigil by Laura Temptest Zakroff
The sigil focuses the following ideas:
- Protection of rights, services, people
- Increased accessibility to safe and legal procedures
- Health-minded focus
- Fact-based education about bodies, sex, pregnancy
- Body autonomy/respecting the sovereign self
- Removal of obstacles to safe/legal treatment for all
- Legalization secured permanently, not to be threatened or overturned.
The Artists
You can get more information about any of the artists who contributed by clicking on their links below. They’re all on social media and I’m sure they’d appreciate a follow or like.
Aerik Arkadian 
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