Indigo Girls: Music, Activism, and Social Change

Over 25 years, folk-rock icons Indigo Girls — Amy Ray and Emily Saliers — have not only released more than a dozen albums, they have also displayed a deep dedication to social, political, and environmental issues, mixing music and activism in equal parts.

In 1993, they co-founded Honor the Earth, the Native American support and awareness group, along with activist Winona LaDuke. Two decades on, they are still actively involved with that cause and others, from immigration reform to campaigning against the death penalty. On the eve of the release of One Lost Day, their first studio album in four years — and their performance at TEDWomen on Wednesday night — we spoke to Ray about how they speak up for what they believe in (without getting preachy), the evolution of their music, and the state of women around the world.

Using Music to Raise Awareness

Over the years, how have you used your music to help interest people in causes that they might not otherwise know or care about?

We access activism through our work by gathering people together at a show. Sometimes the shows raise money, sometimes the shows raise awareness, and sometimes we do specific benefits for specific things. We let people know that they can choose whether they want to be part of it or not.

Early Activism in Atlanta

How did you get involved with activism?

When we started out, we were part of this community in Atlanta, and we wanted to give back. We wanted to have shows that were for something other than just making the bar money and selling drinks. We started raising money for a soup kitchen or an HIV program — stuff that would have a direct impact on exactly where we were and who was in our audience.

Evolution of Activism

Over the years, how did it evolve?

As our career grew and we had more resources and contacts and the ability to garner money, support, or access to legislative people, we saw ourselves as being amplifiers for the voices that weren't getting heard. Take Native issues. It was more important for them to be heard than for us to be heard. Exposure waxes and wanes, so when we had a lot of it, we leveraged it. Bonnie Raitt really helped us learn how to do this. We watched her at press conferences, and the question would go to her, and she would immediately field it to the person sitting beside her who was the expert in that area.

Lessons Learned in Activism

What have you learned along the way?

We've learned to use our resources. When we were on Sony Records, we were part of a big monolithic corporation that made video cameras too, so we would say, "Okay, if we're going to go down and work with the Zapatistas, we're going to grab a couple of video cameras and give them to them too." It was as simple as getting cameras for a tribe. We would also do email blasts or have an [information] table at our shows so people could learn about issues. But we also learned how to do that the right way.

Key Takeaways:

• If you have a table, you need to make sure you announce it.
• If you want to talk about an issue at a show, it's more effective to bring up a speaker for three minutes from that group, instead of you talking about it.
• Have them speak while you stand there with them and make sure people are listening.
• And you don't do it before you start when no one's in the room, you do it in the middle of the show when everyone's there.