FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 9/25
NORTHERN STAR
— Acclaimed Canadian songwriter Danny Michel returns with his first new release since 2023’s Ghost Town, this time diving headfirst into the stormy waters of modern politics. Inspired by a fan’s message suggesting musicians should “stick to their trade and keep their political views to themselves,” Michel responded the only way he knows how—through song.
“Northern Star” is both a protest anthem and a tribute to the political songs that first inspired Michel to pick up a guitar. “Art is a reflection of society,” he says. “Songs hold real power and shape the way we see the world.”
Paying homage to the protest anthems of the past, “Northern Star” threads lyrical nods to iconic songs through a sharp and timely critique of today’s political landscape—including Canada’s uneasy proximity to American influence. Its defiant chorus lands with force:
“Climb in your rocket ship and fly off to Mars,
Take all your money and buy all the stars,
But we ain't for sale like one of your cars—
And the Northern Star, that one's ours.”
At a time when cultural identity, sovereignty, and economic pressures are front and centre, Northern Star is a timely and fearless contribution to the conversation—reminding listeners that music isn’t just entertainment; it’s resistance, reflection, and a rallying cry.
NORTHERN STAR
Bob sang “Get up stand up, stand up for your rights”
Bragg sang for the unions, for the workers to unite
“The Times They Are A-Changin”, so “Take it from Dr. King”
“I Ain’t Gonna Play Sun City” until every voice can sing
Climb in your rocket ship and fly off to Mars
Take all your money and buy all the stars
But we ain't for sale like one of your cars
And the Northern Star, that one's ours
This machine kills fascists like Woody wrote so well
Joe sang “Guns of Brixton”,
“Spanish Bombs” & “Straight to Hell”
“Black Boys on Mopeds” Sinead stood and fought
Joni cried when they “paved paradise and put up a parking lot”
When the world is lost & your rights are wronged
Sing me a protest song. Go on, throw me a rope
Under Northern Lights & some words of hope
‘Cause when the singer’s gone the song echoes on
Johnny played Folsom Prison, Lennon sang “Attica State”
Baez sung “We Shall Overcome” & crush all seeds of hate
Chuck D sang “Fight The Power”, and Chapman “Born to Fight”
“If I Had A Rocket Launcher” like Cockburn felt that night