Bristol based Svalbard use their hardcore voice to speak for the overlooked in their new track “Unpaid Intern”. “Unpaid Intern” was released on 25th February along with a music video, and premiered on Metal Hammer with an essay by the band’s vocalist. The track comes from Svalbard’s upcoming release It’s Hard To Have Hope, planned for release on 25th May, via Holy Roar Records.
Svalbard are Serena Cherry (guitar, vocals, lyrics, artwork), Mark Lilley (drums), Adam Parrish (bass), and Liam Phelan (guitar, vocals). Through their wall-of-sound and revolutionary vibing “Unpaid Intern”, the band are taking a determined and confrontational shove toward corporations opting to offer unpaid internships; leaving the opportunities restricted to the middle class who have the luxury of affording to work unpaid.
“Can’t you see? Can’t you see?
How this prevents the poor from opportunities?”
The hard-hitting track, with stand-out fury courtesy of the vocals, and ache of impossibility courtesy of wailing guitar, desperately tries to express the plight of those who have no means to go without pay.
In her essay for Metal Hammer, Serena elaborated on her thoughts behind “Unpaid Intern”:
“What if the person who could maximise your profits/inspire your workforce/create an ingenious new method is…poor? And not ‘I can’t afford a third cup of coffee on my way back to my parent’s massive house’ poor. Genuinely, debilitatingly poor. No family home to live in rent-free. No safety net of savings. Just a discouraged, blue collar worker, trapped beneath a landslide of endless monthly outgoings.
How will their talents be utilised when corporations only offer unpaid internships as a way in? What if the person who could be the key to a company’s success simply couldn’t afford to work for them for free?
Has it ever occurred to these discriminatory businesses that the missed opportunity… might be theirs?”
Svalbard take a powerful stance, aspiring to spark thought and change with the voice that they have, which also happens to result in an amazing song. Check out “Unpaid Intern” below via YouTube. Pre-orders are available here:
Preorder ‘It’s Hard To Have Hope’ now on LP/CD/DD:
http://www.holyroarrecords.com (UK/EU)
http://throughloverec.tictail.com (DE)
http://translationlossrecords.bigcart… (US)
