Politics & Power Quote by Holly Near

Calling yourself "not political" is less a neutral stance than a survival tactic, and Holly Near is poking that bruise on purpose. As a musician who came up in the era of Vietnam-era protest and feminist organizing, Near understands that "political" has been weaponized into a smear: it’s code for preachy, divisive, career-risking, unmarketable. Her line isn’t scolding artists for lacking courage so much as naming the quiet coercion that trains them to keep their mouths shut.

The quote works because it treats "political" as a fear word, not a descriptor. That reframing exposes how politics isn’t just elections and policy; it’s also the backstage machinery of platforms, radio play, venue bookings, sponsorships, and fan expectations. When an artist insists they’re "not political", they often mean: don’t interpret my work as taking sides, don’t punish me for my audience’s discomfort. Near hears the subtext: neutrality is a branding strategy, and branding is already politics.

There’s a second, sharper implication: opting out tends to protect the status quo. If you can afford to be "apolitical", it usually means the world is working well enough for you. Near’s own catalog - rooted in anti-war and queer-feminist movements - suggests a different ethic: art doesn’t become political when it mentions a candidate; it becomes political the moment it chooses what pain to make audible, and whose humanity to treat as negotiable.