riotous folk musician and activist, ryan harvey

Ryan Harvey is a 28 year old musician, activist, organizer who hails from the outer suburbs of Baltimore. Nursed into activism through the power of punk music by the likes of CRASS, and local Baltimore bands; Ryan was at the WTO protests in 1999, as a kid. He's been at every major convergence of the Anti-Globalization movement since, and he defines these moments as epic life changing events. He has been a committed anti-war activist and organizer since 9/11, and works closely with veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, having founded CivSol the "Civilian Soldier Alliance".

The first time i saw Harvey live, i was impressed with his power as a folk singer. His music rides the rails, somewhere between the story telling tradition of Woodie Gutherie, and the raw power and radicalism of Billy Bragg. I found myself thinking: finally, a musician for the revolution ... one who's raw edges and stomping good beats on a simple six string guitar can move folks toward the great leap forward.

I had a conversation with Ryan, at Baker Park during G8 activities in Frederick, Maryland. We talked about punk, music, politics and activism. Like activism, music serves as a tool for social change, and Ryan is at the front lines, hammering out songs that both chronicle and fuel the stories of the working class, inspiring them to rise to the revolutionary challenge of our times.

if you haven't heard Ryan's tunes, you can catch him over at Riot-Folk (there's 9 like minded musicians on board there).

to check out Harvey's organizational skills, be sure to attend the three day Mobilizing and Organizing From Below Conference, June 1-3 2012, in Baltimore, Maryland, 

listen to the song "New Enclosures" by Ryan Harvey, or better yet, listen to Ryan Harvey radio on LastFM.

the interview was conducted by Zen Fidel. the camera man was Dan Newell.