Artist: Unspoken Tradition
Hometown: Cherryville, North Carolina
Song: “Soldiers of Dust”
Album: Imaginary Lines
Release Date: June 10, 2022
Label: Mountain Home Music Company
In Their Words: “‘Soldiers of Dust’ was written to represent multiple viewpoints of the world in the wake of the social unrest spurred on by the hardships of the pandemic. Every line in the song was intended to be a stand-alone idea to be interpreted in more than one way. There are references to working-class struggles, fear of change, gentrification, and the tyranny that can come with the deliberate removal of nuance. It was inspired by my own learning experience of how to relate to people who have different worldviews than me and the reward that comes from having empathy towards those views. ‘We live in these cities of rust, like soldiers of dust’ is a metaphor for what could happen if we are not willing to meet people where they are and we end up in a losing battle and in a society not worth having.” — Ty Gilpin, Unspoken Tradition
Photo Credit: Sandlin Gaither
