In a time when confronting racism is more critical than ever, Clare and Jade have crafted a blistering anthem of resistance with their single “BURN THE SWASTIKA.” Drawing inspiration from punk legends like Bikini Kill, Fugazi, and Amyl and the Sniffers, the track is a bold, unflinching statement against the rise of neo-Nazi groups in Australia.
The song’s provocative title speaks to the urgent need for direct action against hate, while the raw sound captures the intensity of their message. Created in Clare’s Menai home, this DIY effort reflects their commitment to activism, using music as a weapon to combat the spread of racism.
We sat down with Clare and Jade to discuss the personal and political forces behind the track, their creative process, and the message they hope to inspire. From confronting the resurgence of neo-Nazi rhetoric on Australian streets to making their voices heard in a climate where silence can often equate to compliance, this interview dives deep into their mission to challenge hate head-on.
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The title “BURN THE SWASTIKA” is incredibly powerful and direct. What motivated you to create a song with such a bold statement?
Basically, in order to combat the overtly racist and in your face statements by the neo-nazi’s I felt BURN THE SWASTIKA needed punch and just as much a bold rebuttal. The fact that people still are happy to call themselves neo nazi’s is baffling to us and needs to be challenged directly.
Can you discuss the historical and emotional context that inspired this track? What message are you hoping to communicate through this song?
Currently in Australia, there are neo – nazi groups marching on the streets drawing the exact same ideas from the 1940’s. We find this deeply disturbing and we feel it is a no brainer to cover this atrocity in our music making. They are sporting swastika’s and yelling about how Australia is a man’s land at peaceful indigenous rallys, completely ignoring historical context of how Australia is Indigenous land.
Music has often been a platform for social commentary and protest. How do you see “BURN THE SWASTIKA” fitting into that tradition of artistic expression?
In our current political climate where many people are defending the actions of self proclaimed neo – nazi’s we feel it essential to counteract this. We feel that staying silent is perpetuating the issue and a form of compliance.
Were there specific personal experiences or historical narratives that influenced the creation of this single?
There have been heaps of times where both of us have witnessed people being incredibly racist in Australia. From sly comments from people we know personally, to neo-nazi’s marching the streets of Adelaide. This is still unfortunately a huge issue that desperately needs to be combatted immediately.
The choice of such a provocative title suggests this is more than just a musical piece – it seems to be a statement. Can you elaborate on the artistic intent behind the song?
The intent is to obliterate racist ideology of all kinds. We want to fight against racism in a direct and confrontational way. We feel that it is essential to speak up when such derogatory and racist acts are being thrown in our face.
How do you balance the emotional weight of the subject matter with the musical composition?
The lyrics are very cut throat and to the point. We wanted a composition that matched this intensity and energy giving it a really loud and overt kick. The intent is so it won’t be ignored and the message delivered with clarity.
What conversations do you hope this single will spark among listeners?
The acknowledgement that neo-nazi’s are still roaming the streets. It’s 2025 and the same rhetoric is still being spewed and sprawled all over the streets and social media. What is also frightening is that there are commenters supporting these acts of racism and we want to try to nip this racist behaviour in the bud with BURN THE SWASTIKA.
As an artist, what responsibility do you feel in addressing complex historical and social themes through music?
Staying silent and not having a stance when you have a musical platform seems ridiculous to us. When we have a voice we feel we need to use it. It shouldn’t be seen as complex or out there to combat racism.
Can you walk us through the creative process of developing a track with such a charged message?
It’s pretty simple really. I saw some Neo-Nazi’s on the news marching in the streets at a peaceful Indigenous rally and opened my notes and started writing. We then smashed the track up pretty quickly really, infact from the time Jade started writing it till we mastered it was about an hour.
Beyond the immediate emotional impact, what long-term understanding or reflection are you hoping to inspire with “BURN THE SWASTIKA”?
In the long term future we hope that it is no longer necessary to have to create music of this nature. We would hope that racism would be a thing of the past.
