Caverns Of Pine is a project that exists for the sole purpose of standing in complete solidarity with survivors of sexual violence. The solo project of Brad Perry (Worn in Red, Forensics, Washers) and several collaborators dedicates every second it has to spare to telling the stories of survivors and the loved ones of those who have fallen victim to sexual violence in order to heal, help listeners to cope, and inspire people to get involved. Their debut comes in the form of a powerful EP called Dissociate and is available digitally now, with a physical release coming later this year.
You can read about what inspired Perry to pursue his work in the prevention of sexual violence and the creation of Caverns Of Pine below.
I got involved in this work because when I was 12, my Mom became suicidal. She had endured years of sexual abuse as a little girl at the hands of her step-grandfather. As I hit puberty, her mind forced her to face those traumas. She was able to survive, but watching her struggle with—and heal from—what this man did to her changed me forever. And throughout my life I would discover that this was only the beginning. My girlfriend in high school. An older male family member who I love dearly. More friends and romantic partners than I can even count at this point. They all had their lives disrupted by another person choosing to commit sexual violence against them. My eyes were pulled open to this banal horror most people seemed eager to ignore.
Music was always the place I sought solace. The idea for Caverns Of Pine is to dedicate an entire musical project to the ways different people survive the traumas of sexual violence. From survivors of different backgrounds and various genders, to the people who care about them. It’s about telling stories that reflect different perspectives on healing and reckoning and coming to terms with the fact that another human being could act with such cruel disregard. Or not coming to terms with any of it, and still finding a way to live.
I’ve been actively working on this project for the past 3 years. It’s the result of a musical and visual collaboration with good friends in the creatively rich city of Richmond, VA. All profits from digital sales of “Dissociate” will be donated to FORCE because this project is meant to sit in empathy with those who have survived the inhumanity of sexual violence, or who have seen the pain it inflicts up close. It’s meant to be in solidarity with survival. And it’s meant to be defiant cry against a world still eager to disbelieve.
You can stream Dissociate below
Physical copies of this release can be purchased through the kind-folk at Self Aware Records. All procedes from the release will be donated to FORCE.
