The Sound of Solidarity: LA’s Music Community Comes Together for Wildfire Relief
As Los Angeles grapples with the aftermath of its most destructive wildfires in living memory, the city’s artistic community has turned to the power of music to help rebuild what’s been lost.
Enter Staying: Leaving Records Aid To Artists Impacted By The Los Angeles Wildfires, a 98-song compilation featuring unreleased tracks from André 3000, Julia Holter, Reggie Watts, and others, available now on Bandcamp.
But this isn’t just another charity project—this compilation is personal. The fires that began on January 7th have devastated neighborhoods like Altadena, a longstanding home for LA’s working musicians.
Nestled beneath the San Gabriel Mountains, Altadena has long been a safe haven for artists, offering a rare chance for creative minds to live and work without the crushing rent prices elsewhere in LA.
It’s also a community that has been fundamentally shaped by Black artists and families, with a history of resistance and resilience woven into its very fabric.
Emmett Shoemaker, founder of Leaving Records, is one of many in the area whose life has been uprooted by the fires. His label has deep roots in Altadena, and many of its artists have either lost their homes or are still waiting to learn their fate.
As Shoemaker reflects in his poignant statement about the disaster, the fire has not only stripped away physical spaces but also erased cultural landmarks like the estates of iconic producers like Madlib, and historic Black-owned businesses that have defined the neighborhood’s identity.
The Staying compilation is an effort to channel grief into action. Half of the proceeds will go directly to Los Angeles artists and music professionals who have been affected, while the other half will support displaced Black families and communities.
Shoemaker’s words resonate deeply: “We rise in the morning after not sleeping… and still, somehow, mustering the courage and energy to act collectively, to contribute, however they might, towards the preservation of life.”
For anyone looking to contribute to the relief effort, this compilation offers more than just music—it’s a lifeline for the communities that shaped the sounds of Los Angeles. Physical copies are available in vinyl ($40), cassette ($35), and digital ($15), and every purchase helps support those whose creativity has long defined the spirit of the city.
You can access Staying on Bandcamp here, and read Emmett Shoemaker’s full statement here for a deeper dive into the impact of this disaster and the importance of coming together in the face of unimaginable loss.