Scottish independence: where musicians from Bowie to Bjrk stand

Published: September 17, 2014

The politicians have delivered their speeches, outspoken advocates have pushed for their sides, the media has weighed in on every aspect of the story but on Thursday, whether or not Scotland becomes an independent country comes down to voters.

But that hasn't stopped high-profile musicians from weighing in on the fiery debate. So when it comes to Scottish independence, who stands where?

On the yes side are Scottish post-rockers Mogwai, who have filled their Twitter feed with "Yes" messages, as well as Franz Ferdinand, Amy Macdonald, Frightened Rabbit and others who performed at last weekend's pro-independence event, A Night for Scotland.

"It feels incredible to be standing here on the edge if this stage tonight on the edge of history," Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos reportedly told the crowd. "I'm not the kind of guy that's used to making any sort of speech. I'm a man of few words, tonight I'm a man of one word and that word is 'Yes.'"



Also on the "Yes" side is Icelandic singer Bjrk, who rejigged the lyrics to her song "Declare Independence" and posted them on her Facebook page, as well as veteran Scottish musicians including singer Annie Lennox and the Proclaimers. English political rocker Billy Bragg has been writing entire editorials on the subject.

But if they had their way, musicians wouldn't all be saying yes. Some of the biggest names in the biz are encouraging Scots to vote no, among them Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Sting, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Cliff Richard, Bryan Ferry and David Gilmour, all of whom signed an open letter as part of the no side's Let's Stay Together campaign.

David Bowie also squeaked his message into this year's Brit Awards, via Kate Moss:

The referendum on Scottish independence is being held Thursday. For more coverage, visit CBC News.

Indie / Progressive / Jazz
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