Music industry up in arms over O’Shea single

O’Shea’s single with Midnight Oil’s Rob Hirst has incited reactions fromthemusic industry about Queensland farmers.

The Truth Walks Slowly (In The Countryside) was released late last month as a tribute to Queensland farmer George Bender, who took his own life late in 2015.

The cotton farmer’s water bores dried up as a direct result of coal seam gas(CSG) mining activity taking place near his Chinchilla property. As one of the first farmers to stand up against CSG practices, Bender’s decade-long battle with CSG was lost last October. His death has incited calls for a formal investigation into the effect large mining projects have on local farmers.

Now, a song penned by O’Shea and recorded with Rob Hirst has been shared by actor Russell Crowe, Alberts Head of Repertoire Philip Mortlock, artists Katie Noonan, Missy Higgins and Emma Pask and journalists Jono Coleman and Nick Bennett, among others.

“Wow I was really moved by this song, it is tragic but I’m glad people are singing about these things,” Higgins posted to Facebook.

The music video on O’Shea’s Facebook page has been shared over 15,700 times and has been viewed over 531,000 times. The clip also hit #9 on the all genre iTunes chart in Australia.

Speaking to TMN Jay O’shea said George Bender’s passing affected herself and husband Mark for several reasons.

“Firstly, because of the time of spent in that part of Australia over the last 20 years being married to Mark – he’s originally from Dalby. And secondly, because this tragedy could have and should have been prevented. By this I mean George Bender should never have been “allowed” to be bullied like this. It’s the ultimate David and Goliath situation here.

“And thirdly, when I was told what the land owners rights were in Queensland, how the Crown owns the mineral rights not the land holder, I just couldn’t believe what I was hearing!”

Mark O’Shea actually penned the track in 2014 as a reflection of the gas companies vs. farmers tug-of-war he could see happening in regional Queensland. The track took on new meaning with Bender’s passing and the duo decided to shape the music video around it, using personal photographs and footage of Bender on his family farm.

Mark O’Shea believes the ongoing concerns from Queensland farmers aren’t properly heard by mainstream media and the general public.

“I think the main issue is that both the general public and those in the media aren’t aware of a couple of the basic principles that are causing all these issues, namely that a property owner does not own the mineral rights to what lies beneath his land,” he told TMN. “If you stop and think about that for a second, it’s devastating. YOU can’t stop a mining company from coming and drilling on your land! You don’t have that right. If more people knew that one simple fact, I think there would be a much bigger conversation going on.”

The Truth Walks Slowly… also marks the first recording that Jay O’Shea and her birth father Rob have worked together on. The pair were reunited five years ago 36 years after O’Shea’s birth mother was sent to Adelaide by her parents to have the baby and give it up for adoption.

Hirst has echoed sentiments of farmers in Queensland who have called for a formal review of mineral rights in the area.

“Farmers must have the right to protect the quality of the land they work and the water they draw,” he told TMN. “The health of Australian farmers and their families should not be compromised by resource companies exploiting the sub-surface of their properties or neighbouring properties.”

Watch the music video below: