On Saturday, May 30th, over 70 artists and thousands of fans came together for Quarantine Comes Alive, a virtual music festival that raised over $160,000 for a variety of causes and participating artists via the comprehensive PLUS1 COVID-19 Relief Fund.
The 15-hour live stream marathon featured virtual performances from scores of nationally touring acts including Clyde Lawrence and Gracie Lawrence, the brother-sister duo at the heart of the rising soul-pop outfit, Lawrence. For their short but sweet Quarantine Comes Alive performance, Clyde and Gracie debuted a thematically appropriate new ballad, “Quarantined With You”.
While Quarantine Comes Alive was streaming, people around the country were starting to take to the streets in protest of racial inequality and police brutality following the wrongful killing of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis. The movement behind these protests has exploded since then, as you surely know, making the imperative for isolation during the ongoing outbreak a difficult pill to swallow for many.
As the band explained to Live For Live Music about the lockdown-inspired song, which they wrote and recorded long before the protests began, and the important societal developments which have taken place since it initially aired,
“Quarantined With You” is a song we wrote about some of the complicated feelings we are feeling during these bizarre COVID times. Part of what feels so strange about life during the pandemic is that everyone has a responsibility to do their duty and keep people safe, but for the majority of people, that duty is to basically stay out of the way and make sure you’re not spreading the virus. For a band whose most popular song is about the joys of “doing nothing,” it felt particularly inspiring that, as we say in the song, “for the first time doing nothing could really save some lives.” It’s a time to try and pause, reset, play some board games, teach yourself how to cook, and connect with the people with whom you’ve chosen to (or been forced to) quarantine.
On the other hand, for a group of essential workers and healthcare professionals, they are more active than ever, working hard and under dangerous circumstances to keep people safe. Ultimately this song is dedicated to them, the real heroes — the least that we can do in response to help them during this time is stay inside and “do nothing!”
Lastly, we want to address the Black Lives Matter movement and the important conversations surrounding it right now — this song was written before the death of George Floyd and the inspiring protests and calls to action that have ensued, and while we think there’s always a place for a nice tongue-in-cheek song about the importance of spending time with loved ones, we think it’s crucial to note that in this moment as it relates to rights of Black people across this country, “doing nothing” is not an option.
If you enjoyed the performance, Clyde and Gracie ask that you make a donation to Fair Fight. Watch Lawrence debut “Quarantined With You” at Quarantine Comes Alive below:
Clyde and Gracie Lawrence – “Quarantined With You” – Quarantine Comes Alive
Presented by Live For Live Music in partnership with PLUS1 and Nugs.TV, Quarantine Comes Alive was conceived as a way to celebrate and support musicians, provide fans with unique musical experiences from the comfort of their couches, and raise money for comprehensive COVID-19 relief during this time of uncertainty. All funds raised from the donation-based event will be split evenly between the artists on the bill and the PLUS1 COVID-19 Relief Fund, which works directly with leading non-profit organizations like Sweet Relief, MusiCares, Center for Disaster Philanthropy, World Central Kitchen, Partners In Health, Trans Lifeline, and Backline to provide aid where it’s needed most. For more information, head here.