King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Mac Demarco, The War On Drugs, and My Morning Jacket‘s Jim James are among the artists featured on a benefit album in light of the recent Los Angeles wildfires.
Earlier this month, Los Angeles was swept by five concurrent wildfires that brought unprecedented destruction to the area – more than 150,000 residents were forced to evacuate from their homes, 28 confirmed deaths and 22 missing persons have been reported to date.
Yesterday (January 28), it was announced that ‘Super Bloom: A Benefit for Los Angeles Fire Relief’, a 62-track album, has been released in benefit of those affected by the disaster. Per Rolling Stone, the album was compiled by Nicky Devine, Nicole Lawrence, and Nora McDonough. It also includes tracks by Dirty Projectors, Jenny Lewis, Hiss Golden Messenger, Ty Segall, and Rosali, among others.
‘Super Bloom: A Benefit for Los Angeles Fire Relief’ is now available for purchase on Bandcamp at US$10 or any chosen higher price.
“A ‘super bloom’ refers to the stunning reveal of orange and red poppies, paper thin against the dark hillsides of our mountains after a long winter or particularly blackened earth,” Devine said in a statement. “Without the burn, the vibrancy wouldn’t be so superb. It acts as a reminder: we will grow from this, and so much more splendidly.”
A new benefit concert, dubbed ‘G*ve A F*ck LA’, has also been announced for February 5 at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, California. Acts announced to perform include Hayley Williams, St. Vincent, Finneas, Lucy Dacus, MUNA, Perfume Genius, The Linda Lindas, and more.
Besides benefit concerts, other musicians have stepped up to help out the affected communities in the aftermath of the fires. Beyoncé’s BeyGOOD foundation have donated $2.5million to help to relief efforts for the Los Angeles wildfires.
Paris Hilton also launched a fund for families displaced by the fires, pledging $100,000 and promised to match up to $100,000 in donations. Dave Grohl also spent his birthday making meals for families that had been effected.
American-Mexican band Fuerza Regida have rented out an entire hotel for a week to shelter 50 families fleeing the wildfires. Charli XCX called for brands gifting her clothes to “give [them] to people who really truly need it.” She then shared details of a clothing drive organised by stylist Lana Jay Lackey, urging others to join her in donating.
Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish and more have reacted to the “heart-wrenching” devastation caused by the wildfires, sharing resource links for those in need of help.
Members of the LA music community have also spoken to NME about being hit hard, with a number of venues, studios and artists being affected by the blaze.
