piglet - 'it isn't fair'
Irish solo artist piglet returns with new single ‘it isn’t fair’, both a singalong anthem and a raging protest song about the injustices of British healthcare provision for trans people.
piglet’s new single begins with the build up that any protest anthem needs. In the accompanying video, directed by Harv Frost, as singer-songwriter Charlie Loane sits in what appears to be a waiting room, you can see the pent-up frustration in the clenched fist and shaking leg. The sound of a closing door signifies the shift into the defining chant of “it isn’t fair,” providing the simplest of phrases to sum up the fundamental issues of injustice towards transgender people in the British health care system.
The joining of the chorus truly assembles this into an anthem alongside the queue of members of the transgender community representing the ridiculously long wait times for them to receive treatment. This accumulates into the direct affirmation of “you deserve so much more than the state will allow.” Further, piglet coordinated the single to raise money for the We Exist Charity, including all Bandcamp and associated merchandise sales. Despite Loane having expressed desire to have the lyrics explain more about why it isn’t fair, paradoxically less is more - the all encompassing three words providing an authentic and powerful portrait of this discouraging experience. This song structure is seemingly becoming a pattern for piglet, with recent singles “oan” and “dan’s note” both beginning with the same slow burn and increasingly becoming more expressive – which is often a successful approach for music attempting to communicate social and political issues.
Words by Frances Cameron
