The #MeToo Movement has become incredibly powerful. After many women came forward and told their story's, the barriers of silence that surrounded sexual assault began to break. Both men and women then felt more comfortable coming forward and speaking up by using the #MeToo.
Haley and Michaels, a country duo, took their experiences and the pain from others stories and turned it into a song called "Me Too". It's a song that makes the listener feel less alone; that ensures them that their experiences are valid and that speaking up is so incredibly brave. I got to ask them a few questions about the #MeToo movement and about their song. Check out the interview below and stream the song right here.
Question 1: How did you decide to take the #MeToo movement and turn it into a song?
Answer: The best way we know how to express ourselves has always been through writing music. This movement is very inspiring to us and it really affected us emotionally when we started seeing women and men being brave and posting "#MeToo". For us, music has always been healing and we wanted to bring another element of healing to this powerful movement by writing a song.
Question 2: How has the #MeToo movement personally affected the two of you?
Answer: We have both been affected personally by this in different ways, and we have loved ones that have also experienced sexual harassment and assault. But for us, the song isn't specifically about our personal experiences. Our experiences gave us fuel to write it, but the song is about the strong message of unity that the #MeToo movement is spreading. We want this song to be everyone's story, to uplift people and make them feel like they're not alone.
Question 3: Why do you think now is the time to stand up and take a stand against what is going on in the world? How do you plan on contributing to that change?
Answer: We feel that our country and our world is very divided right now. While it is unsettling, we also feel that the divide is partly because people are really starting to openly address major cultural and social issues that need addressing. We feel like people are starting to really talk about the issues that have historically made us as a collective feel very uncomfortable. In history, the only way that change has ever been made is by people taking a stand, insisting on speaking up about what is really going on, and refusing to back down. This is just one of the many issues that needs addressing and there is no time like the present. We have always been inspired by music that does this in one way or another, and the best way that we know how to make an impact is through music. We hope that our song #MeToo can bring not only more awareness to the movement, but also help others feel like they can speak up in their own way too.
Question 4: What does your song “Me Too” mean to you? How do you hope it impacts other people?
Answer: When we were writing this song we knew it was inspired by the issues that the #MeToo movement addresses, but we also felt that it was bigger than just one issue. We wanted this to represent a message of unity and we found ourselves compelled to write it in such a way that anybody who has ever been victimized in any way could relate to it. There are many ways that people have been subjected to the abuse of power and we wanted this song to capture the message that regardless of your experience, you're not alone with your feelings. We hope that regardless of what anybody's story is, people will hear this song and feel like it's written for them. If they could feel for three minutes like they're not on their own, that would be the most gratifying thing for us.
Question 5: As musicians with a platform and a fan base do you personally feel a sense of responsibility to speak up and take a stand on matters such as sexual assault?
Answer: We've always believed that having a voice comes with a responsibility. We personally feel like we want to write about things that we know about in an honest way. When there comes a time to write about an issue that we are passionate about, we feel compelled to put it out there rather than being afraid of it. We believe that music is one of the driving forces of change and if we can be any small part of making a difference with a song, we are honored to have the opportunity.
Question 6: Do you feel that if you have a platform as a musician, actor, public figure, etc. that it is important to use that platform to voice your opinions and ideas? Why or why not?
Answer: We believe in the value of using your voice when you have a platform of people who look up to you listening. However, we think every artist in the public eye has a right to handle these things in the way that feels right to them. Not everybody feels comfortable or compelled to use their platform for their personal opinions and ideas. But if artists feel strongly about certain issues and they feel they can contribute in a positive way, we always respect when they speak up about it because speaking up is an opportunity to inspire other people and create change.
Question 7: You don’t directly mention sexual assault as the cause for the #MeToo movement in your song. Do you feel as though the #MeToo movement is part of something bigger than just one issue?
Answer: While sexual assault is absolutely a part of the #MeToo movement, we also believe that the movement represents more than just one issue. When writing our song, we wanted to focus on the inspiration, the hope, the unity, the strength, and the healing quality that the #MeToo movement represents to us.
Question 8: The music in the 60's was tailored toward political activism and activism in general. Do you feel as though that is where music is headed with the current state of the world?
Answer: We certainly hope so. We've all heard the sayings, "Only love can save us." Or "Only music can save us." We put all of our faith in both. We think the world needs music to help lift us up and unite and we hope the time is now.