I have known Mike for a couple of years and have always been a fan of his music and the music of REM plus he is a lovely man. When I asked if he would be a part of this project he immediately said “yes”. Talking about what cover to do but we both thought that Billy Bragg’s song Sing their Souls was a perfect choice for the voice project, inspired by Mavis Staples, such a great talent and “the voice” of the civil rights movement in the 60’s.

Shooting Mike at his beautiful home was a fun experience. I loved the fish tank and was trying to figure out a way to do a “Romeo and Juliet” shot through the tank but then realized I was just a small production and should stick to the basics. Was so amazing of him to welcome us into his home, and singing their souls back home, it’s what this is all about and the women in Uganda have proven how real a thing that can be. Many thanks to Mike, Reyna Mastrosimone and Bertis Downs. — AG