Michael Stipe and Jason Isbell have revealed why they’re supporting Kamala Harris in the upcoming U.S. Election, in a newly-shared conversation with Doug Emhoff.
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The meeting came after Isbell joined Stipe last Friday (October 4) to perform two R.E.M. songs at a campaign concert for Harris. The ‘Get Out The Vote’ event took place at Schenley Plaza in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and saw Stipe singing ‘The One I Love’ and ‘Driver 8’, both songs he has not performed in public since 2008.
After the concert, the musicians spoke to Emhoff – Harris’ husband and a former entertainment lawyer – about their support of the Democratic candidate.
Stipe argued that voters have a responsibility to back the candidate that most closely represents their views, even if they don’t completely align. “There’s the comparison that has been made that voting for a politician is like taking a bus,” he said. “You get on the bus that takes you closest to where you want to go. When you get off that bus, that’s when you have to start working. You have to do the walking.”
He also praised Harris for fighting injustice, adding: “We’re a big country with a lot of weight and a lot of power. And we need it to go right and your wife can guide it in the right direction. There’s a lot to work on, there’s a lot to do, but I have a lot of faith in her.”
Isbell, who grew up in Alabama, added that he’s heard people say that “No politicians actually care about working people or about regular everyday Americans,” but he added that after becoming more involved in politics he’s found “that that’s just not true.” The singer went on to call Harris a “fantastic leader, brave and strong and hyper-intelligent”, adding: “I think she truly cares about American people.”
He also said that Harris’s “integrity” makes him “feel safer as a creative person and as a citizen in general. I feel like somebody is at the top of the pyramid that is not attempting to confuse. Somebody is trying to tell me the truth and her opponent is trying to confuse us all,” he continued.
In playing in support of the Democratic nomination for US President, Stipe and Isbell become the latest musicians to throw their weight behind her campaign.
Artists like Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, Charli XCX, Beyoncé, Megan Thee Stallion, P!nk, Bon Iver, Quavo, Bruce Springsteen, Chappell Roan, Olivia Rodrigo and more have also come out in support of Harris ahead of this November’s election.
Alanis Morissette also took to the stage at a Harris fundraiser in Los Angeles last month, and P!nk recently joined Isbell to perform at the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
The election will be held on November 5.
Elsewhere, R.E.M. recently shared ‘We Are Hope Despite The Times’, a digital compilation of songs to mark National Voter Registration Day.
The compilation features 18 hand-picked R.E.M tracks by the band from their career-spanning discography, highlighting themes of activism and social responsibility. The songs include ‘World Leader Pretend’, ‘Fall On Me’, ‘Welcome To The Occupation’, ‘Drive’, ‘Finest Work Song’, ’Turn You Inside-Out’, ‘Pop Song ’89’, ‘Stand’ and ‘Its the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)’.
