New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Shore Fire Media) Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are sharing an early stream of "Same Love," their new track due out later this month as part of their partnership with the
Music For Marriage Equality campaign and Sub Pop Records. The song, which features Seattle vocalist Mary Lambert, showcases the kind of intensely personal and deeply affecting lyrics that have made
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis an emerging premier national hip-hop group with numerous career highlights to their name. Sub Pop will release the track digitally on 7/24 and as a limited run 7" on 7/31, with all proceeds going to benefit the
Music for Marriage Equality campaign. The song will also appear on
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' debut LP, 'The Heist,' which they'll independently release 10/9. Beginning today, you can stream "
Same Love" here: https://bit.ly/NF0GGO
The cover art for the single is a photograph of Macklemore's uncles, who served as inspiration for the song and were a model of a committed and loving relationship while he was growing up.
"This song, which I wrote in April, is a response to what I have observed and experienced, and is also an act of personal accountability," explains Macklemore, aka Ben Haggerty. "I wrote from my own perspective growing up in a culture where 'that's gay' was commonplace, with a huge stigma on those who identified and were perceived as gay. More than anything, I am aware how comfortable I (and most other straight people) have become staying silent on this issue. If we choose not to speak on an issue of injustice out of fear, or how our peers might perceive us, we're part of the problem."
When
Music for Marriage Equality's Kerri Harrop heard the song, she immediately recognized its power. "What we are seeing is a cultural shift, and that shift is certainly reflected in the music world," explains Harrop. "Artists and bands have a long history of supporting and spearheading change."
A candid lyricist and an electrifying live performer, Macklemore, with his producer Ryan Lewis, have garnered a grassroots legion of devoted fans and an avalanche of critical acclaim. Last year alone they sold out two national tours (including a three-night run at Seattle's Showbox that saw them move 3,600 tickets in less than 48 hours), played Rock the Bells, Lollapalooza, Sasquatch, Outside Lands, and stunned with an unprecedented extended set at Bumbershoot to 12,000 fans at Key Arena. The duo has amassed more than 20 million YouTube views and earned a national feature on the cover of XXL Magazine's Freshman Class of 2012, all before even releasing their debut album.
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis will headline the WAMU Theatre (7,500 capacity) in Seattle on Oct 12, offering fans the option to donate towards the fight for Marriage Equality. Stay tuned for more info on 'The Heist' and The Heist World Tour dates: https://www.macklemore.com
ABOUT MUSIC FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY:
Music for Marriage Equality is a project of Washington United for Marriage, a campaign to Approve Ref 74, which would make Washington the first state in the nation to defend marriage equality by a public vote. A bill to legalize same-sex marriage passed the Legislature and was signed by Governor Christine
Gregoire on February 13, 2012. Same-sex marriages were to be performed starting June 7, 2012, but that was delayed, as opponents gathered enough signatures to force a voter referendum on the legislation. The law can now only come into effect if it is upheld by the vote on November 7th. In 32 out of 32 states where marriage equality has been put to a public vote, it has been defeated.
Music for Marriage Equality aims to reverse that trend.
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis on the Web:
https://www.macklemore.com
https://www.facebook.com/macklemore
https://www.twitter.com/macklemore
https://www.twitter.com/ryanlewis
MME On The Web:
https://music4marriage.org
https://www.facebook.com/MusicForMarriageEquality
https://twitter.com/Music4MEquality
