Blue Wolf Records presents a Sky Woman Productions and LucyLou production.
VIDEO CREDITS: Written & Directed by Aminah Hughes. Produced by Aminah Hughes & Lou Bernal. DP Josh Contreras.
SONG CREDITS: Written by Dylan Kussman and Aminah Hughes. Produced by Aminah Hughes.
Award-winning Australian writer/director, Aminah Hughes, and American actor, Dylan Kussman (Jack Reacher, Dead Poets Society, Richard Jewell, The Mule) share a passion for storytelling.
Both songwriters and musicians, they were deeply touched by the recent tragic mass shooting events in Buffalo, Uvalde, and Orange County. In the midst of a debate that is often heated with anger, these two creative artists wanted to respond to these events in a way that would honor the families of the victims – the mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters of those were so suddenly and mercilessly taken – by simply holding space for grief.
The result is “What Are We Fighting For (If It Ain’t Love)?” A soulful duet written from the perspective of parents who have lost a child to gun violence, the song offers heartbreaking lyrics and warm harmonies, while the video sees the characters moving through the five stages of grief as they battle their emotions and find their way back to one another. Filmed in a recording studio in East Los Angeles, converted into a black-box theatre setting, the project draws attention to the CDC’s recent determination that firearms are now the number one cause of death for children in the United States, surpassing motor vehicle deaths and those caused by other injuries (even though they rank no higher than fifth in other industrialized nations).
Born from empathy and love, this project is a testament to what happens when two passionate artists join forces. It is a call for all who care about this issue to vote for pro-commonsense gun reform candidates in the upcoming November 8 midterm elections. And it is an offering to the families who are suffering, to give voice to those who need their voices heard now more than ever.
“As an immigrant to this country, I don’t have the right to vote. But I do have a voice and I do have a platform and I care deeply about this issue. Our votes carry weight. They have the power to enact real change. I encourage everybody who has the right to vote in this country to use that power to take a stand.” – Aminah Hughes
“The heartbreak of loved ones who have lost children to gun violence in this country is worthy of our attention, our empathy, and our respect. Aminah and I couldn’t conceive of any other way to honor it than with a song, an art form that has the power to express the inexpressible. We encourage people to register to vote and be aware of their chosen candidate’s stance on gun reform legislation.” – Dylan Kussman
Released on Hughes’ label, Blue Wolf Records and distributed worldwide by MGM Distribution “What Are We Fighting For (If It Ain’t Love)?” was released on September 23, 2022 with the video premiering on YouTube and the song available on iTunes, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, Tidal, Pandora and Deezer.
Find it on your favourite streaming platform HERE.
View the project on IMDb.