Formerly known as the Dixie Chicks, Natalie Maines, Emily Strayer, and Marie Maquire recently dropped ‘Dixie’ from the band name along with a new single titled, “March, March” on June 25, 2020. With it comes a powerful video supporting the recent protests for the Black Lives Matter movement, and includes footage from past protests about LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, gun violence, and climate change. At the end of the music video are the names of those who lost their lives to alleged racially-motivated and police violence including Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Stephon Clark, Sandra Bland, Tony McDade and many more for over one minute. Long time activists, the Chicks devote a page on their website to important causes like #BEforlove, HeadCount, Human Rights Campaign, and Planned Parenthood.
“If your voice held no power, they wouldn’t try to silence you.” – Unknown
While there hasn’t been a public statement from the band as to the reason for the name change, this fiery trio are known for making public statements in the name of justice. In 2003 while performing in London they told the audience that the band was not in support of the upcoming allied invasion of Iraq, and were ashamed that then President George W. Bush is from Texas. The Chicks were blacklisted from many country radio stations, major networks refused to air their documentary (Shut Up & Sing), and fans staged anti-Dixie Chicks demonstrations which included publicly destroying copies of their music CDs.
The backlash would continue for three years following that moment in London resulting in the Chicks losing major support from the Country music community. But this reaction only fueled the band to press on and they released another single in 2006 titled, “Not Ready To Make Nice” from the album Taking The Long Way which was a direct response to that career-changing moment. The album was a success and despite receiving little to no airplay reached number one on both the U.S. Pop Album Chart and U.S. Country Album Chart, became a Gold Record within the first week of release and made The Chicks the first female band in chart history to have three albums debut at No. 1.
“March, March” follows the release of their first album in 14 years titled Gaslighter which also spawned the single of the same name. Gaslighter was released in July 2020. Visit their website at http://thechicks.com/
