Aussie artist Jack River co-stars with the sound of plants on new song to push for tougher environment laws

Jack River has ditched drums for an unusual replacement in her latest song in a push for stronger environment laws.

Australian musician Jack River has brought on an unusual collaborator for her latest song, using the sounds of distressed plants as a beat.

Holly Rankin, whose artist name is Jack River, used the “popping” sound made by plants in drought or “trauma” as a percussive rhythm on the song Nature’s Cry.

The ambient pop piece also samples the sounds of vulnerable and endangered Australian native animals

She recorded Nature’s Cry in a bid to draw attention to Australia’s “nature crisis”, in partnership with the Australian Conservation Foundation, to advocate for stronger environmental protection legislation.

Holly Rankin, the artist known as Jack River, has used the distress calls of plants in her latest song to draw attention to nature destruction in Australia.

More than 2,200 Australian plants, animals and ecosystems are listed as threatened as the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, now 20 years old, is up for review by the federal government.

ACF nature campaigner Peta Bulling highlighted the alarming rate of habitat destruction in Australia, revealing that an area of threatened species habitat the size of Tasmania has been destroyed since Australia’s national nature laws took effect more than two decades ago.

ACF Nature campaigner Peta Bulling said current nature laws are failing. Picture: Supplied.

“More mammals have gone extinct in Australia (39) than in any other country — that’s more than the rest of the world combined,” she said.

“Australia is one of just 17 megadiverse nations on earth … But with mega diversity comes mega responsibility, and the laws that are meant to protect nature are failing.”

By using the unique distress calls, Rankin hopes to both highlight the crisis and also offer a sense of hope it’s not too late for change.

“If we take action now, and only now, there is a granule of hope to turn things around,” she said.

Rankin has been passionate about nature since she was a child, having grown up on a farm.

She aims to open up her audiences to environmental issues through song. Picture: Matt Jelonek/WireImage.

The distress samples were collected by Tel Aviv University who last year shared their findings that plants emit ultrasonic pops occurred in rapid bursts, which differ depending on the type of stress – a cut stem or dehydration – it experienced.

Rankin said she’s been passionate about the environment from a very young age, and that music and activism go “hand-in-hand” for her.

“There are so many big things we are being called to action for, and music to me wouldn’t be enough without bringing my passion for nature, and understanding and actioning as much as we can of the climate crisis,” she said.

With songs like Nature’s Cry and her recent record, Endless Summer, River aims to make environmental and political issues more accessible to her audience, and appeal to their deeper love for nature.

The new release follows the success of Songs of Disappearance, which saw albums featuring threatened bird and frog calls hit the top of the ARIA charts in 2021 and 2022.

Nature’s Cry can be found on the ACF website.

Originally published as Aussie artist Jack River co-stars with the sound of plants on new song to push for tougher environment laws