Nurturing NATURE: Could Jane Goodall’s Absence Be Inspiring Artists?

Last week, the world lost one of its most beloved changemakers – Jane Goodall – and her legacy has left us wondering how the music industry might be following in her footsteps.

At the inspiring age of 91, globally renowned primatologist and eco-activist Goodall passed away from natural causes on Wednesday, 1st October. Since her death, the internet has been awash with an outpouring of love for her life’s dedication: using her voice to have an impact on this earth.

The likes of Prince William and Barack Obama have extended their admiration towards her work and this “extraordinary voice,” which made such a difference in the world.

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you,” Goodall was famously quoted as saying. “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make”

Whether or not chimpanzees are your life’s calling, there’s no denying there’s something invaluable in her message that leaves one deep in reflection.

It got us thinking about our own industry through an environmental lens, and music is inherently political by nature. In the present-day, precariously balanced environmental state of the world, are artists and the music scene doing anything to highlight or make such impacts? And if so, what?

We followed this deep dive all the way from musical archives into current technology developments – and discovered it’s a lot more than you might think.

Stevie Nicks’ Idol

To start out, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that Goodall’s work was so influential that Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks herself directly wrote a song about her commitment to conservation and the woman she called her “idol”, titled Jane.

After meeting in Dallas in 1991, Nicks was so inspired by Goodall’s devotion to protecting the animals that she wrote the track, realising she too wanted to be worthwhile in the world beyond “Rock ‘n’ roll.”

Detailing her deep inspiration by Goodall’s Commitment, Nicks cites Goodall as a “woman who has profoundly affected my life.”

NATURE Is A Spotify Artist Now?

Whilst artists have been writing environmentally-inspired songs for decades, just last year technology has given them a leg up – with NATURE itself becoming registered as an official Spotify artist.

In a rapidly shifting AI-led landscape, it’s easy for the decision to make a non-human ‘artist’ under the title of NATURE to prompt initial controversy.

However, upon second examination, one finds it’s merely a series of nature soundtracks and environmentally vocal artists releasing impactful tracks with NATURE as a feature.

Launched on Earth Day 2024, this initiative was led by the United Nations, EarthPercent and Sounds Right as a means of enabling NATURE’s own soundtrack to generate conservation funds. Royalty from streams quite literally goes directly into ‘biodiversity conservation and restoration projects’ around the globe.

With a fan-base now boasting over 2.1 million monthly listeners and an impressive list of environmentally active collaborators – from David Bowie and Brian Eno to AURORA – NATURE is making waves Goodall would no doubt be delighted by.

The Music Industry Has Nature Funds Now?

Learning about NATURE as an artist led us to investigate the role of environmental organisations within the music industry – turns out there’s an entire network of businesses existing purely to help artists to make the world a better place beyond songwriting.

One such organisation is EarthPercent – co-founded in the UK by globally revered producer/artist Brian Eno – it invites artists and industry to donate a tiny percentage of income towards environmental and climate causes.

Similarly, back home here in Australia, we have the likes of Green Music Australia and Feat. making an impact in our own backyard.

Green Music Australia has been developing resources especially for artists, with their funds directed towards resources such as the Sound Country Artist Guide. The guide lays out the exact steps musicians can use to make the smallest negative environmental impact, particularly while jetting across the world on tour.

Meanwhile, established alongside Cloud Control’s Heidi Lenffer and backed by the likes of Lime Cordiale, Feat’s latest initiative, Solar Slice, gives the industry the opportunity for a ‘sustainability surcharge.’ By adding merely $1 or 1.5% to every ticket before release (not even half a coffee) – this enables the music industry to contribute funds directly into a nature-projects, building a national environmental legacy Goodall would be proud of.

All in all, although Goodall’s passing has left a big old achy absence in hearts across the globe, we’re grateful for the reminder to take a little step back to consider how we might all be able to do our own parts in the world.

There’s no question that the music industry is full of people who care (a lot), and it’s been refreshing to discover exactly how this is translating into impact Goodall would’ve loved - from Stevie Nicks’ songwriting all the way to our new favourite artist NATURE.