Swedish sister duo First Aid Kit have released a new song to coincide with International Women’s Day. “You Are The Problem Here” is a direct and pointed response to rapist who received a lenient sentence. It’s darker and more distorted than Klara and Johanna Söderberg’s usual harmonic folk offerings, with a clattering drum line and a horror-flick Hammond organ at the top of the mix. Its lyrics are furiously direct: “I hope you fucking suffer / Do you really expect anyone to feel sorry that you ruined your own life? / You did it when you thought you had the right to put your entitled hands up her thighs.”
The band released a statement to accompany the song which you can read in full below, via Rolling Stone.
Videos by VICE
Today is the International Women’s Day and the theme of the year is #BeBoldForChange. “You Are the Problem Here” isn’t a typical First Aid Kit-song. It’s angry and direct. It’s a song written out of despair. After reading about yet another rape case where the perpetrator was handed a sentence which did not at all reflect the severity of his crime we felt upset and vengeful. We were, and are, sick of living in a society where the victims of rape are often blamed for the horrible thing that has been done to them. Our message is clear and should not be controversial in the least: if you rape, you are the problem. Alcohol is not the problem. So called “youth culture” is not the problem. You are. And you always have a choice.
Listen to the track in full below. All proceeds from the song are going to Women for Women International which you can check out here.
Follow Noisey on Twitter.
