As I previously mentioned, the UK visionaries in Svalbard are not a band created from any mold you might have heard before. Such is the case on their upcoming release, It's Hard To Have Hope, an album lathed in ethereal melodies, breakdowns, blast beats, singing, and screaming.
The outcome is a sound that inspires change, love, and hope for the future, despite it's namesake. Without a doubt, the album is one of my favorites of the year, and with an earnest listen, I believe it may be yours too.
Of course, the music is one important aspect of Svalbard's work, the other being the stance they take in particular topics. Today's release focuses on the idea of revenge porn, which I've asked Svalbard's Serena Cherry to comment on:
'As we wrote our second album, we thought about specific things that infuriate us. One of those is revenge porn. Where an ex-lover is held at ransom over an act of intimacy they once shared. Where vulnerable teens are lured into sending nudes to a person they think they can trust, only to find images of their body shared around the entire school. Where a naked body becomes a tradeable commodity, with no consideration of the feelings of the person within it. Isn't it frightening, what people will do just to tarnish the reputation of another person? Have we become so desensitised towards the concept of privacy, that we no longer recognise a photo that was not meant for our own eyes?
There's a vulgar element of slut shaming within the concept of revenge porn. You trustingly sent nudes, therefore you *must* be embarrassingly punished? You *must* be publicly shamed? Therefore it's OKAY to have your dignity shattered by an intentionally private photo being shared around?
When it comes to revenge porn, why are we significantly less focused on blaming the people who are sharing private images? After all, sending nudes is not a crime – but distributing without consent is. While UK laws have recently been adapted to account for Revenge Porn as a criminal offence under the Sexual Harassment Act, currently very few people who share private photos suffer legal repercussions. In the age of online sharing, it can be tricky to pin down a specific perpetrator. Meanwhile, the reputation of every single victim of Revenge Porn lies in tatters. And don't get me started on the close-minded argument that 'if you don't want nudes shared, don't take them in the first place.' Talk about self-censoring out of fear! If you don't want your words twisted, don't say anything.. ever? People who take nude photographs are NOT RESPONSIBLE for the actions of those who receive them. We need to stop blaming the victims.'
Svalbard's upcoming album, It's Hard To Have Hope, will be released on May 25th via Translation Loss, Holy Roar, Tokyo Jupiter, Through Love. Grab your pre-order now!
