SHFT

It was easy to partner with Adrian and Peter, because we have the exact same outlook about building a more sustainable culture. We want to show you that you can help solve environmental problems simply by choosing green products. If enough of us buy green, environmental efforts will be backed by the power of the world's businesses, and that power will allow us to produce solutions.
-Gary

Hear Gary talk about why we partnered with SHFT.

About SHFT

Founded by actor and activist Adrian Grenier and film producer Peter Glatzer, SHFT is a new media platform with videos, shopping and resources that inspire people to lead more eco-conscious lives. Their first original web series, Lighten Up, was produced with Stonyfield Farm.

SHFT's Lighten Up videos

SHFT's Lighten Up video series lets you follow bands as they reduce the ecological impact of their tours. We'll feature two new Lighten Up musical artists here each month. Check out our two current videos and check back often.

Described by Variety as "the only dance band that matters," Brazilian Girls (actually three guys and a girl, none of whom is Brazilian) have an eclectic, multilingual sound that fuses electro, samba, salsa, reggae and jazz. With such a global approach to music, it comes as no surprise that the New York City quartet is keenly aware of the impact their shows have on the planet. SHFT's Lighten Up crew caught up with the band backstage at the sustainably produced Wanderlust Festival, where the band makes an important point: in the digital music era, record sales are less important than touring, which makes touring sustainably more important than ever.

When the Honey Brothers hit the road with their joyfully unconventional banjo-and-ukelele new wave sound, they made a commitment to minimize their tour's impact on the planet. Traveling in a biodiesel Sprinter van, the bandmates hit up local farmers' markets for grub and LEED-certified hotels for shelter. In this episode of Lighten Up, made possible by the good humans at Stonyfield Farm, the Brooklyn five-piece inform us that touring green really isn't that hard. "It's about making those choices," says Honey Bros. drummer Adrian Grenier. "Once they're made, it just falls into place."

At Phish's 2009 reunion festival in India, California, almost fifty thousand devotees congregated among the desert mountains to revel in the jam band's free-form sounds. As we at Lighten Up know, the environmental impact of such a gathering is nothing to slouch at. Luckily, the band has always had a staunch commitment to ecological responsibility, and Phish Festival 8 took it to another level. With a rideshare program, an onsite farmers' market, a crew of green volunteers picking up garbage and sorting recycling, and the WaterWheel Foundation collecting donations for charity, this show had its eco bases covered. We were there to check it all out.

Moby has never been one to shy away from letting people know how he feels about issues of the day. The New York-based DJ/producer, whose family knows him as Richard Melville Hall, has been spreading an environmental message since his early days in punk bands. The difference between the punk years and today is that the anger has been toned down in favour of a more positive voice, one that emphasizes the role music can play in linking politics and culture. We caught up with the man at Wanderlust, where he performed an acoustic set and talked to us about environmental activism.

SHFT helped launch Green Music Group (GMG) in Hollywood on the night before the Grammys. Guster, Dave Matthews Band, Maroon 5, and The Roots jammed together and kicked off the new initiative, which was born out of Reverb. Since 2004, Reverb has greened over 80 major music tours while conducting grassroots outreach to over 10 million music fans. They founded GMG to create an environmental coalition of musicians, industry leaders and music fans using their collective power to bring about widespread environmental change within the music industry and around the globe. SHFT and Stonyfield Farm celebrate their mission.

Gary Hirshberg, CE-Yo of Stonyfield Farm, and former climatoligist, has long been an inspiration for us at SHFT.COM. In addition to being a leader in the sustainable business community - showing other companies how sustainable practices not only help the environment, but also help the bottom line - Gary shares the idea of spreading the eco message through cultural means, an idea that is the bedrock of SHFT. In this episode of Lighten Up, Gary talks about empowering consumers through Stonyfield's long history of supporting green practices in the music industry.

Edward Sharpe Waiting for their tour bus, the band considers a more conscious approach to taking their show on the road. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros are exploding. The band of ten members has been touring the world this past year, after their first record, Up from Below, hit the streets. They've been in the air or on the road constantly and are starting to taste success. At the same time, they're seeing first hand the kind of waste that accompanies a road tour if no steps are taken to curtail it. SHFT caught up with them in LA while they were waiting for their bus.

The Dave Matthews Band was an early adopter of green touring. SHFT explores their many sustainable ideas. DMB has been touring for many years and, due in large part to the efforts of bassist Stefan Lessard, they've been approaching it with one eye on the road and one eye on the planet. On several fronts, sustainable systems have been put in place: organic food, water stations, sustainably made merchandising, and engaging fans in the process. The eco-village gives out free samples of organic and sustainable products and helps to educate their audience. Here's a band that has led the way in implementing sustainable systems that make sense for the tour while sending a strong message to their fans.

The Honey Brothers at Wanderlust, a sustainable festival in Squaw Valley, where Adrian motivated his band to reduce their load while on the road.

Brandi Carlile, a phenomenal talent who cares deeply about lightening the impact of her tours, gave a private concert in Los Angeles to a small group of industry insiders. In this Lighten Up episode, we get some great performances and hear from an artist who tours with care for the environment.