R.E.M. have released a new lyric video for their 1986 song “I Believe” to encourage fans to vote in the presidential election.
The video was created by longtime R.E.M. art director Chris Billheimer. It draws inspiration from the handmade designs frontman Michael Stipe used to create for himself during the Fables of the Reconstruction tour and the politically-themed tee-shirts he wore to 1991 MTV VMAs, where the band used their acceptance speech for Best Video for “Losing My Religion” to draw attention to causes like gun control, reproductive rights, voting rights, and alternative energy sources.
“I believe the choices in this election could not be more stark or more important,” Stipe said in a statement. “Please vote and encourage everyone you know to do the same—that is how we win in 2024 and I believe we can do it!!!”
In September, R.E.M. released We Are Hope Despite the Times, an 18-track digital compilation aimed at encouraging fans to stay informed and engaged and to vote during this election season. “I Believe” appears on the compilation alongside other politically-tinged songs, including “Welcome to the Occupation,” “Swan Swan H,” “Fall on Me,” and “World Leader Pretend.” “I Believe” was initially released in 1986 on R.E.M.’s LP, Lifes Rich Pageant.
Although R.E.M. didn’t endorse a specific candidate in their call to vote, Stipe has been campaigning for Kamala Harris, including performing at a fundraiser event in Pittsburgh. Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff discussed hanging out with Stipe during an interview with Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder and Jeff Ament on SiriusXM’s Pearl Jam Radio. Following an event in the musician’s hometown of Athens, Georgia, Stipe and Emhoff visited the record store where R.E.M. was formed, and after that, Emhoff got to visit Stipe’s home.
“He took me back there for a personal tour,” Emhoff said, “and he’s like, ‘Oh yeah, right here is where I wrote Fables [of the Reconstruction], like the whole album in three weeks, just walking around in a circle.’ I’m like, ‘What?’ And ‘Right here is where Peter and I, you know, talked about this.’”
During that chat, Emhoff highlighted how many musicians have rallied around the Harris campaign, mentioning the support of Jon Bon Jovi, Jason Isbell, Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift, and, of course, Pearl Jam.
“The music industry has come out in a way that you guys have always done this,” Emhoff said. “It’s what you did from day one, using your voice, not only to make this music we all love, but to talk about the truth and being engaged. And so to see that coming back, and get to talk to some of the people I’ve listened to my whole life… [and] to do that in a record store with Michael Stipe in Athens and pick out some records was pretty, pretty damn cool, man.”
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