Ekko Astral have released a new six-and-a-half minute song and video, “Pomegranate Tree,” written about vocalist/bassist Jael Holzman and drummer Miri Tyler’s experiences as American Jews witnessing the horrific violence that Israel has been carrying out against Palestine for the past year. In a press release, Miri says:
It’s exhaustingly heartbreaking to watch a symbol of your childhood community transform into a symbol for genocide, or to watch people you used to respect defend the actions of an extremist right-wing government. Jael and I grew up Jewish in America. We were taught we had a “homeland” that we had an obligation to. We were *not* taught about the human beings that lived there prior. We were taught to celebrate victories. We were taught simply that they hated us. We were taught that this violence was righteous. But there is no such thing as righteous genocide, and experts around the world agree– including Jewish survivors of the Holocaust –the violence being carried out by the IOF is indeed genocidal. And the fact that these atrocities are being carried out in the name of our faith, culture, and community– well, it’s enough to keep us up at night.
Miri added more in an interview with The Alternative: “I’m really glad and proud to have a song coming out that addresses the feelings I mentioned in the post announcing the song—it’s just sad as someone who still identifies with Judaism, to see symbols like this being used in this context. And I think a lot of people still do get manipulated into believing in Zionism and backing everything that Israel does without a second thought. But it saddens me to the point where it’s hard to sleep sometimes. And it has me questioning so many things about just identifying with Judaism in general, to be honest, which is sad in and of itself.”
The music video (shot by John Lee, edited by Kate the Cursed, directed by Jael Holzman and John Lee) is made up of grainy, black-and-white footage of Washington D.C. and of “journalist Eric Michael Garcia discussing the media’s failures to cover the ongoing genocide.” Watch and see the song’s full lyrics below.
Ekko Astral have shows coming up in Baltimore, Brooklyn, and Philly this month, including Baltimore’s Ottobar on 10/16 with Pretty Bitter, Anita Veleveeta, and Powerwasher; Baby’s All Right on 10/17 with Pop Music Fever Dream and Adult Human Females; and Foto Club on 10/18 with ShyGodwin, Powerwasher, and Comprador.
Lyrics
I’m waking up at ten
My melatonin’s not enough
I’ll never sleep again
I’m losing all my friends
My melatonin’s not enough
I’ll never sleep again
The violins won’t end
My melatonin is a burning refugee
Under pomegranate tree
Nothing is the same as it was
On the other side of the planet
My people are dropping bombs
Just as they proselytize
On the other side of the planet
My people want leibensraum
Convinced they’ll defend themselves with holocaust survivors
Shooting pregnant mothers
With a Coca Cola smile
Six thirteen seeds
Dot the crime scene
Underneath the shade of a pomegranate tree
Nothing is the same as it was
I woke up in the middle of the night
I woke up in the middle of the night
Sling TV again
Chyron chyron, cry on cry on
I woke up in the middle of the night
I need to stop smoking cigarettes
I need to work out more
I need to eat better
Cuz its hard being out of shape in the trenches
It’s hard being out of shape in the trenches
THE DISTRICT SLEEPS ATONED TONIGHT