Meet the Dust Bowl Faeries Band on a Mission to Advocate for All Animals
On this episode, host Arden Moore chats with Ryder Cooley and Liz LoGuidice from the Dust Bowl Faeries Band. They describe their band's music as a fusion of dark cabaret, gothic polka with a little vaudeville and music tossed in. When they are not performing from their new 6-song EP called Carnival Dust, the band helps animals in need.
Listen to Episode #481 Now:
BIO:
In Liz's words about their animal work: "My relationship with animals is ingrained in who I am. I feel like I relate to animals more comfortably than I relate to people. On a day-to-day basis, I definitely spend more time with animals than with humans. I’m kind of a cat magnet and I’ve rescued many cats over the course of my life. The dogs who have lived with me have also been rescues. I live in a rural area and I’m very tuned into the sights and sounds of wildlife. I know the sounds and habits of forest animals that live nearby, and they know me too. Some wild birds in my neighborhood will eat out of my hand. I used to volunteer with wildlife rehabilitators, helping to care for injured animals, and I’ve worked with owls, crows, deer, otters and other critters. I’m also a farmer and I have lots of experience caring for a variety of livestock. I’ve even worked with draft horses, and I actually tried plowing a field with a horse team once, which was really hard!"
In Ryders words about how to be a better animal advocate and veganism: "I worked at a cat rescue in Hudson NY for 3 years where I was a vet assistant and resident caretaker (Animalkindny.org), and I currently work with And-Hof Animal Sanctuary, which is home to rescued roosters, hens, goats, sheep, alpacas, turkeys, peacocks, donkeys, pigs and other "farm animals... There are so many animal rescues that you can support. None of them are perfect, but they're trying, and they need help. I personally don't like to visit or support zoos, aquariums, animal parks or places where animals are captive and on display for the purposes of spectating and/or making money, unless they are animal rescues dedicated to rehabilitation. Animals suffer and die due to habitat loss and pollution, so caring about the environment and living sustainably is critical to sustaining species diversity. Animals need the planet as much as we do, and they were here first! I look for as many cruelty free products as possible, from cosmetics to cleaning supplies to everything. If it doesn't say cruelty free, it's probably been tested on animals. Buying local, pesticide free organic food helps (obviously) and so does recycling and using sustainable energy sources. If you're looking for a pet, try the local animal rescue/shelter first, there are tons of animals who need homes, and if you see someone abusing an animal, report them to the police and to any local animal organizations.
I've been vegetarian for 30 years and vegan for over 20 years and I encourage everyone who is curious to try it. For me, it's an ethical issue. Animals are my friends and I don't want to torture or eat my friends, do you? I'm an empath so I tend to be very tuned-in with the feelings and energies of animals; if they suffer, I suffer. Animals are constantly abused by the food industry (and many other industries) and I just don't think it's right for them to suffer for our benefit. Would you like to be an animal living in a cage that's so small you can't move, with wings that never get the chance to open and stifen to paralysis? Would you like to get hormones pumped into you that make you so fat that you can't stand up and antibiotics that make you feel sick, every day?
More About Dust Bowl Faeries: Starting in 2015 as an all-woman trio, The Dust Bowl Faeries is committed to working with as many women musicians and artists as possible, including their collaborative filmmaker Lisa M. Thomas (Thin Edge Films) who documents and adds visual flair to the band’s unique and arresting visuals. Now a multi-gendered band, they have released two EPs (2018’s The Dark Ride Mixes and 2019’s Beloved Monster) and a self-titled debut (produced by music critic Seth Rogovoy and featuring Tommy Stinson of The Replacements and Melora Creager of Rasputina). Their 2020 album The Plague Garden was hailed by WNYC/NPR, Outburn, Instinct, mxdwn, ReGen, Audiofemme, Philadelphia Gay News, amongst many others.