Respected artist Lou Hickey voices support for independence

Thursday, 15 March 2012 08:05

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National Collective has welcomed the support of its first Creative Ambassador, vintage pop singer Lou Hickey, who in 2010 was Glamour magazine’s “One to Watch” and Scotland on Sunday’s “Most Eligible Woman”.

Since her work with Jon Fratelli in the critically acclaimed Codeine Velvet Club, Lou has just finished her first solo album which is due for release later this year.

An impressive independent solo career already behind her, Lou has supported the likes of Martha Wainwright, Suzanne Vega and Imelda May, and has performed at the Connect Festival, Club Noir, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, as well as Scotland’s largest music festival T in the Park.

Lou has joined National Collective and expressed her support for Scottish independence, saying it would allow Scotland to “nurture and support our own creative and talented minds.”

She said: ”I love Scotland. I love our many accents. I love our tartans. I love our quiet hillsides and our bustling cities. I love the fact we make some of the best whisky and gin in the world. I even love our ever-changing weather. Scotland has a unique cultural identity. We have so much to offer the world.

“I believe independence is the way to a better future for Scotland. We need to have control to focus on the issues that are top of our priority list. We need to be able to benefit from our country’s assets. We need to be able to nurture and support our own creative and talented minds.

“From recent conversations, I am finding that people know very little about the benefits of Scottish independence. Their political views are often stuck in the past with family tradition. I have joined National Collective, as I feel it is a wonderful tool to help spread the positive opportunities independence could bring to Scotland.

“With nearly all our major newspapers and broadcasting tied up to British national companies, it is becoming increasingly difficult to positively promote Scottish independence and discuss it fairly. National Collective offers a great opportunity for creative voices in Scotland to discuss independence without any affiliation to political parties.

“Independence isn’t just about the Scottish National Party. Once we have independence, we can have the government we choose. We could have new parties that properly represent the many voices of our nation. Maybe Scottish Labour could return to what it started out as; a working man’s party.

“This is a huge decision for Scotland, and it must not be taken lightly. The people need to know the facts and not be steered by scaremongering, history or false propaganda. It’s not about what happened in Scotland’s past. Its about what our future could and should be.”

National Collective is a platform for creatives and creative ambassadors to engage with the Scottish independence campaign.  For more information visit: http://nationalcollective.com/