Not only is this a hauntingly beautiful song, but it’s also a highly relevant one. With all the extended media coverage of the seemingly increasing incidences of mass shootings and suicides across the world, “Put the Gun Down” by Anja Kotar is rather timely. She shares the story behind this powerful tune:
“I wrote this song when I was 16 upon reading a Rolling Stone article about a Cupertino teen committing suicide after being raped and slut shamed at a house party. As I grew older, the song grew with me and I began to understand its full importance and meaning that I hadn’t thought of when I initially wrote the song. I encountered the deeply divisive American issue of gun control and realized just how closely Put the Gun Down hits to home. After all, just based on the lyrics, you can’t tell whether the person in question is committing suicide or pulling the gun on someone else.
I wanted to keep this song raw and did a very light instrumentation that is carried by a slightly distorted piano. My favorite part of the song is definitely the static radio break - because the album is structured as a mixtape/playlist listened to in a car, the radio static announces a breaking point in the story; from here on, things start resolving and lightening up.”
You can learn more about Anja Kotar here:
Learn more about the Curator, Belinda M.
Named after Belinda Carlisle, solo artist and lead singer for The Go-Gos, making music has always been second nature to Belinda M. Growing up in a household that was largely influenced by Filipino culture, it was impossible for her to avoid belting out a few tunes into a karaoke mic at an early age. After her parents discovered she could play piano by ear at age 4, lessons promptly began. She later started writing poetry and playing guitar, which eventually lead to her becoming a singer/songwriter.
For Belinda, writing and listening to music has always been an essential creative outlet and place of solace. She released her debut EP, “I’m Not Broken” in October 2016, and continues to write and release new music. Her lyrics have been recognized by “American Songwriter Magazine” and her music is featured on the award-winning “Women Of Substance Radio and Podcast.” Check out Belinda’s music and learn more at www.belindammusic.com
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