BORDER REBELS: TOUGH DECISIONS
New solo album from Martin Craig for 2011

TOUGH DECISIONS is Border Rebel songwriter Martin Craig's new solo album. He says, "It's a songwriters' cliché to say, "The songs just wrote themselves," but that happened here in a way I've never experienced before. I've been so disappointed by the lazy language used by some of our politicians (of all parties) to manipulate the public, and so angered by many of their idealogically-driven, potentially harmful policies, that the idea of writing about my usual pet subjects (rock'n'roll, bikes, road trips and relationships) seemed impossible".

Once the songs were written and recorded, we talked about using the album to draw attention to some of the growing unfairness we see in society. We also wanted to highlight some of the positive ways in which this is being combatted in the UK and so we chose to release the album in support of Shelter, the housing and homelessness charity. 100% of the proceeds of this download-only, 11-track album will be donated to Shelter.

"Political skits?"
"...isn't this meant to be about music?"

Yep, it is, but sometimes things get so utterly stupid, so childishly pretentious, so ridiculously off-kilter that normally level-headed citizens feel obliged to speak out. Here in the UK, it's not just our brave students or striking transport workers; it's lawyers, teachers, parents, grandparents, NHS staff. If you live in the UK in 2011 and are not a member of the Cabinet, a pro footballer, banker or lottery winner, you probably have that it's-all-sliding-off-the-plate sensation for much of your waking hours.

So here is an album of Protest Songs. That wasn't too hard, was it? Let's just get this out in the open and admit that, yes, 'satirical' sounds so much cooler but, really, these are protest songs. Across the nation, the dedicated, careful work of countless people, many of whom are no longer alive to protest, is being undone in the name of 'Moving forward' and being 'Progressive'. From 'You voted for it - why are you clapping?' to 'The Right Thing To Do' and 'Last Quango In Town', this album is a caution to those who preface their Consultation Exercises with the phrase, "The status quo is not an option."
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