Best known for being Prince's lead guitarist for years, Canadian artist Donna Grantis is embarking on a project designed to raise awareness of climate change. On Earth Day, the artist unveiled the track "A Drop In The Bucket,” which uses spoken word from Tzeporah Berman, Chair of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative in a powerful manner. We talked to the musician about the significance of their new song and their ongoing Culture vs Policy project.

MP3s and NPCs: “A Drop In The Bucket” was recorded live at last year's Canadian Music Climate Summit. Was it more important delivering this live than recording in the studio?

Donna Grantis: I released the live performance of “A Drop In The Bucket” because I think, musically, a special moment was captured that night. I like that the live recording is from a community event that brought together artists, industry representatives, music fans, and climate activists to discuss how we can all address the climate challenge together. The Canadian Music Climate Summit Concert was presented by Music Declares Emergency Canada – an amazing organization that provides resources and support to artists to speak up about the climate and ecological crises. I love what they’re doing to promote the cultural change needed to create a better future. As a signee of the MDE declaration, I greatly support the movement. I really dig the connection between this live release, the coming-together of eco conscious artists at the summit and the energy behind the MDE Canada team. I’m aiming to recording a studio version of the song later this year.

MP3s and NPCs: This is the first song released through Brian Eno’s environmental charity EarthPercent. How did you link up with Eno for such an important cause?

Grantis: I created a solo guitar arrangement of “1/1” from Brian Eno’s Ambient 1: Music for Airports album (1978). It’s a beautifully meditative song and such a gorgeous record. I posted a video of the arrangement on socials which led to a conversation with members of the EarthPercent team. Concurrently, I was developing my Culture vs Policy music + climate project. I was thrilled to learn about the incredible initiatives EarthPercent is leading to engage the music industry to support climate action. ‘The Earth As Your Co- Writer’ campaign is one example – it’s a groundbreaking initiative to adopt the construct of ‘The Earth’ as a songwriter and beneficiary of music royalties. Income directed to ‘The Earth’ as a songwriter will flow to EarthPercent where it will be redistributed to impactful environmental and climate justice organizations. What a brilliant framework to unleash the power of music in service of the planet!

There’s an amazing community of artists involved in the pilot program crediting ‘The Earth’ including Brian Eno, Jacob Collier, Anna Calvi, Aurora, Erland Cooper and many more. Artists, bands, songwriters and composers interested in taking part are invited to contact earth@earthpercent.org.

MP3s and NPCs: “A Drop In The Bucket” will also be featured on your forthcoming studio album Culture vs Policy. What are you hoping listeners both new and old take away from this release?

Grantis: Sonically, I hope to evoke feelings in listeners; interpersonally, I hope to spark reflection and conversation as a stepping-stone towards action and transformative change. “A Drop In The Bucket” features the words of Tzeporah Berman, chair of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty – a global initiative to phase out fossil fuels fast and fairly. Her words highlight the urgency to stop the expansion of fossil fuels and manage a global, just transition away from oil, gas and coal. I hope the song piques a curiosity in listeners – who might not be familiar with the #FossilFuelTreaty – to learn more about it. Despite the destructive reality of fossil fuels, there is no binding global mechanism to phase-out their production. Individuals, organizations and governments are invited to endorse the treaty online.

MP3s and NPCs: Earlier this year, you worked on a Super Bowl advertisement for Crown Royal. What was it like working with Dave Grohl for the ad?

Grantis: It was awesome to work with Dave and Crown Royal! We recorded a Hendrix-inspired version of the Canadian national anthem at Studio 606. Dave encouraged me to “take it to the edge” – which, to me, meant incorporating an extra dose of improvisation, whammy dives, pick scrapes, bends and feedback to embellish the anthemic melody.

MP3s and NPCs: Aside from working on the new album, what's next for you?

Grantis: Aside from working on the new album, I’m very excited to take part in an in-depth online learning journey this summer presented by the Plum Village Monastery. The course will be based on the teachings in Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh’s book “Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet.”

More information about Culture vs Policy can be found on Grantis’ website. "A Drop In The Bucket" is out on digital services right now.