Written by Lauren Rosier
“I went to the studio with the intention of writing a dance song, but after receiving news of yet another vicious attack, I broke down in tears,” says independent alternative artist DOUG LOCKE about his new single “Why?” from his recent EP Why? (Lunar II) (released earlier this year, May 26). “On the heels on what feels like a never ending barrage of ongoing police brutality, murder at the hands of law enforcement and rising hate crimes, I felt broken.”
On his single, “Why?”, Locke tackles systematic racism, homophobia, and police brutality. This year has seen a nearly-continuous news of violence, racism, and the senseless deaths of far too many Black men and women.
Locke can relate, however; he’s felt the pressure, tension, and oppression that he as a Black man has experienced, not only recently, but his entire life.
“When I heard the news of the George Floyd murder on the heels of the murders of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, and the Christian Cooper incident in Central Park, I knew I had to release the song. It is my response to the feelings that have been rising in me ever since my heart broke in 2012 with the murder of Trayvon Martin.”
“I began writing this song about a year ago with my longtime collaborator Eric Lee McNeely,” he explains. “Eric and I kept asking ourselves why this continues to happen and the song was born.”
“The bridge is a reference to the victims of the massacre at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida,” he explains, referencing the massacre on June 12, 2016 when a mass murderer opened fire in a popular gay nightclub and killed 49 and wounded 53 others. “I remember how my heart broke as I watched Anderson Cooper read the names of all of the victims of the shooting,” he recalls. “When I think about the moments throughout my life that changed me at my core, that was one of them. I had no idea there was so much evil in the world. I was absolutely gutted and afraid. When writing this song, I wanted to include a reference to honor the victims as they will never be forgotten. I also wanted to draw that parallel that violence against any group is a crime against humanity.”
Locke is the son of Texas Civil Rights activist and leader, Gene Locke. Gene was one of the first black students at University of Houston in 1965 after the school desegregated in 1963.
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