Single Review: piglet - it isn't fair

 

Trigger warning - suicide and self-harm statistics are mentioned below

piglet is the solo project of Irish songwriter and producer Charlie Loane, who was born and raised in Belfast before moving on to London.

In the last couple of years, Loane's voice has become an increasingly prominent one in the continued fight for trans rights. New single 'it isn't fair touches on the frustrations and despair often felt by the community as they try to go about the transitional process; often the barriers they face are inherent in the system. 

 Ryan Doyle Elward took a listen to the single and told us more about the powerful message contained within.

 

📷 Holly Whitaker 

The latest single, 'it isn't fair, piglet paints a fitting but unfortunate picture of the UK’s healthcare system and its failure to serve trans individuals and the non-binary community. The song’s emotional layout is nearly centre-split, with a hard pivot midway that conveys triumph.

The first half is at ground level; sombre, sinking even, giving coverage to graphic details that are difficult, but being part of this picture of suffering, all the more important to highlight. For a few seconds in the intro, there’s a false start; the stumbling treble plucking is sympathetic and intimate, a perfect marker of humanity.

"I wrote this song around 5 years ago when I had been on a long, seemingly unmoving waiting list for 3 years with no clear end in sight" piglet

After a slow buildup, the horns briefly subside. A lone voice breaks into many, the guitar drives upward while the chant ‘it isn't fair becomes gravitational. This transition into the second half is well-illustrated in the music video from filmmaker Harv Frost, where meaning and movement in the song and the visual correspond to create a kinesthetic experience that’s chill-inducing. piglet wrote much of ‘it isn't fair years ago – a fact which can only further validate the singer’s feelings in revisiting that material – granting even greater legitimacy to the song’s message today. 

Current official waiting times for a first appointment at a Gender Identity Development Service are over 2 years and current waiting lists mean most wait 5 years or more for surgery. There are currently 13,500 trans and non-binary adults on these waiting lists in England alone with approximately 45% of young trans people have attempted suicide at least once and 84% having self-harmed to some degree. 

If the treatment of trans and non-binary people in the UK’s healthcare system is represented with this song, then let the first part be the past and the second is the future. A future where it isn't fair is not said softer and singularly, but louder and by many.

                              r.d.e

The single is coordinated with fundraising activities for the We Exist charity, which does vital work for the Trans community in the face of ongoing failings within the system. All Bandcamp sales of the single and merch go directly to the charity. A live launch show at London's Ivy House Arms will also add much-needed extra funds. 

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