Melbourne band Cash Savage and the Last Drinks have just released 'Young and Free' - a staunch bite-back at the Morrison government ahead of tomorrow's election.
On the day before the entire county goes to the polls, seven piece Melbourne-based band Cash Savage and the Last Drinks share their impassioned and searing critique of the Morrison government, the first studio-recorded song from the band since 2018. A reworking of the Australian national anthem, Cash Savage urges citizens to make their vote count tomorrow. “The world is upside down, so we are putting out a B-side before our first single from the new album”, Savage quipped. “We really wanted to get this song out before the election, as it’s dedicated to the shitshow that is the current Australian government. Their lack of empathy is astounding.”
What you need to know
- Melbourne band Cash Savage and the Last Drinks have just released Young and Free
- A heavily politicised song, it reframes the lyrics and message of the Australian national anthem
- The song is available as a free download via Bandcamp, with an invitation to donate to Asylum Seeker Resource Center
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Savage came up with the song while watching the Beijing Olympics. “My daughter asked me if I knew the words of the anthem”, Savage recalled, “and as I sang them, I realised how messed up they are.”
“The song reframes the lines in the national anthem that I find particularly jarring,” she explained. “Australia isn’t young – and so many people aren’t free – especially the refugees that we hold in indefinite detention.”
Against the backdrop of Melbourne’s anti-lockdown and mask rules protests, Savage found it “incredibly frustrating, to watch people protesting these small reductions of civil liberties while they stay silent on our atrocious human rights records with regards to refugees.”
They’re currently touring Europe, but they’ll be back for their appearance at the Reclink Community Cup on June 19.
Check the track out by heading here.
