Photo by Arlan Feiles
At the end of April, Arlan Feiles released Diaspora. The first song, "I Know Your Number," immediately caught my attention with its opening lyrics. It was painfully clear what the song was about and that this was the beginning of an album which would be immensely personal, harrowing, and one that would likely lead to tears.
I'm the descendent of Germans who came to America in the late 1800s, but I grew up with the shame of Germany's Nazi past running through my veins. As a fan of Bayern Munich's football team, I've heard British announcers insert Nazi references every time they played an English side. It was something I think every German descendent felt to a degree, just as every German has. It is a stain on the country's history that will never go away and one that shouldn't. "Never again" is the mantra the nation has tried to live by ever since.
I knew that past almost certainly intersected with Arlan's family history. He is not only one of today's most brilliant songwriters, but one of the most fearless. I knew he would treat the situation in ways that would bring out generations of pain and longing - the pain of lost ones and the longing for a world in which atrocities and the racism that led to them no longer exist. He did all of that and more. He's created a piece of art that is as beautiful as it is painful.
Sadly, it was rather obvious that one of the reasons for creating the album now is the current state of America. In the last 25 years, the rise of antisemitism has grown around the world - but especially here in the U.S.A. Many of the same views made in the 2016 presidential campaign sounded as if we were in 1930s Germany. Those who pointed it out were called crazy at the time. Today, not so much. There is a playbook that has been used before that is being used again. We've swapped gas chambers for prisons in El Salvador with people being sent there to never return. They may have begun with "illegal immigrants," but they soon mentioned the possibility of doing this with American citizens as well. And images of the mob in Charlottesville chanting, "Jews will not replace us," flood my mind when I think of who they may go after next.
Diaspora is an album well worth listening to from start to finish and it will change you if you do. Arlan's words are powerful, the music is beautiful, and the stories are heartbreaking. As we watch the far right gain in numbers throughout the world, it seems more and more like history is sadly repeating. Now more than ever, we need art like this. We need artists like Arlan.
As soon as I heard the third song, I wanted to talk to him about this album... I don't like bringing my personal life into my articles, but I felt it was important to point out my German heritage. I may not know the pain of being a Jew in this world, but the sad truth is that history connects us in ways neither of us wish it did.
When did you decide to create Diaspora? It certainly sounds like the idea for a concept album was there from the start, was there a specific incident that inspired you?
Yes, there was a specific inspiration for this album. I was set to play a concert in a town in the west of Germany called Emlichheim. It was my first visit to the country of Germany. A surprisingly cathartic experience as this was always a place I had feared. The Holocaust was very much ingrained into me as a young boy. The house concert I would be playing was hosted by the Mayor of the town, and she was a fan. I wasn't sure if they knew I was a Jew. I'm certain it wouldn't matter.
We have gone on to become friends to this day. After the show I was speaking with a cool dude I befriended, a German man, Wilhelm. He had us for dinner earlier in the evening and we were chatting on the front porch after the concert.
I felt safe enough to open up to him and share with him this emotional experience I had been having and how relieved and full of love I was now feeling. It was a beautiful show. He in turn admitted that his father had fought on the side of Germany in the war, and he had lived his whole life in shame to some degree. He asked for my forgiveness. We hugged and cried a bit. He went on to tell me about the three Jewish households in the town before the war. They would all eerily disappear one day.
In one home was an older man who was a proud German Jew, Louis ten Brink, who was born April 15, 1875 in Emlichheim. He spent some time in the concentration camp Sachsenhausen but somehow got out and was staying after that in Neuenhaus about 15 kilometers from Emlichheim. His body was found on March 18, 1939 in the river Vechte by Gölenkamp. His death was always very mysterious, some older people claim that he was killed by the Nazi's and thrown in the river. Others thought it may have been suicide and he may have killed himself out of desperation. Either way, the river had taken him; a sadly typical story for Jews at that time. Of course I was moved by the account. This would become a song called "The River Takes", the first song from the album and what would be the inspiration to go on this personal journey.
How difficult / painful was it to record these songs?
This was not an easy record to write for sure. There were times during the production that I would even cry while singing a track. The weight would at times be too heavy to hold. Generations of sadness. Trying to tell stories of those lost, many in my own family.
Always focusing on the humanity of Jews and the real life people that were forced into exile and would become refugees or worse dead in the camps. I did a lot of research into my own family history through Ancestry. It was tear-inducing having to learn that a cousin I would never know had died at 9 years old in a death camp. Then to see another and another. The ghosts are real. The sadness is built into our culture and religious ceremonies.
Each disaster adding up to a people's story. It's a lot. It was a lot. And to add to that the current horrific state of the Israel-Gaza war. As a pacifist, I just cannot manage the reasoning for all the deaths. A war of cousins in a battle for the land they both belong to.
Do you think the experience changed you?
Undoubtedly. My senses and sensitivities are heightened. I have also become extremely well versed in the history of My family, My people, and the region where the worst conflict continues. I feel more validated as a Jew yet more concerned about the moral compass of my people. We have been damaged and many have gone to extremes. Hopefully, it will be our moral majority that finds a way to turn back to peaceful ways. I deeply hope for the Palestinians, that their leaders choose that same path.
It’s sad to say, but America - and much of the world - has become a far more dangerous place for Jews since your daughters were born. How do you reconcile this? Was this something that pushed you to enter politics or do you think you were always likely to go that route someday?
I have always been keenly aware of the Anti-Jewish sentiments in America and around the world my whole life. I've had people ask if I was gonna Jew them down. The word Kike has been thrown at me. I've been asked to remove my hat so one could see my horns. That's an old favorite. Yes, sadly, it's gotten worse. All the quiet stuff is being said out loud again. All the conspiracies about Jews are back.
Apparently Jews are the fault of everything if you go down the rabbit hole far enough with people like Candace Owens or Tucker Carlson. The white colonial settlers narrative is a popular one. Social medias are running wild with Anti-Jewish stuff.
We are so outnumbered. We have zero chance with the algorithms so the information that gets shared is certainly not the truths we try to get out there. A lot of what i do online today is try to be a voice for Jews on social media. Its not a pretty chore. ZioNazi, Jewpig, Fake Jew, Jew-ish. Ive been described quite colorfully as of late. I got involved in politics for a different reason, but even while being a councilman, I have experienced anti-Jewish statements from constituents who find me unpatriotic for not removing my hat, despite knowing that I am a Jew and wear it for personal, spiritual and religious reasons.
What are your biggest fears for your friends and family right now?
My biggest fear is that Donald Trump and his followers will succeed in making America the Christian Nation they have long sought. If they succeed, I think many of my friends and family will be in true danger of being dispersed into the diaspora once again or worse, not just Jews either. My LGBTQ friends, Muslims, Artists, activists; and even my atheist friends will have a dark time ahead. I also fear that this war in Gaza carries on and on and the people of Gaza are beaten back beyond recovery. It's certain Jews will pay the price socially for this tragedy. We will all be less safe. My kids don't even know the dangers ahead of them. They are too young to know that being a Jew is a tough thing to be in most places in the world, and that's now. It's only going to get less safe.
As a German descendent, I’ve always known that Germany was not this unique place in history - they were not the only ones to latch on to a horrible leader and follow him to atrocities. But I didn’t think America would fall so easily - with an entire political party, media outlets and judges falling in line. What has surprised you the most about America’s move towards an authoritarian leadership?
It's not surprising one bit. Many of my political partners have been screaming, marching, singing and speaking about it for decades. Policies in a democracy are built to move slowly. It keeps the political weather stable. But what also can happen is that things change so slowly that sometimes you don't recognize just how much something has changed. It's kind of like not realizing your partner gained a ton of weight over the last year. It happens so incrementally, your mind makes corrections along the way and to you, your partner looks like they always have. Authoritarianism happens the same way. You don't see it coming.
I would think Republican conservatives would be the first to stand up against a true Authoritarian, king like president. There is nothing less American than a king, right? And maybe if it happened all at once, they would. Yet now, they don't even see it right in front of their faces. It crept so slowly up, it all feels so natural to them now. Doesn't it?
Germans for decades were afraid to show any pride in their country because of their Nazi past. Many Americans doubt that stain on history will happen to America, but I think it will. I believe trumpers and maga will be remembered as a modern version of nazi-ism. What are your thoughts?
There are many on the Far Left and the Far Right that are likely to carry some shame with them into the American future. The Far Right has tried to make the American flag their symbol with claims that only they are true patriots, yet are ushering in a new age of Authoritarianism in America.
The Far Left has lost all faith in our system. It cripples the efforts of people like me who work in it to try to make it better. Some think it should be torn all the way down. Who will survive that revolution? Not the people. Only the ultra wealthy will survive a full government collapse. That really isn't the result we should be looking for these days. It's the same as now, but with all your neighbors dead. I do still believe the system can work if everyone engages the system for change and not starves it until Authoritarianism and the Oligarchy can feed off it and manipulate it.
What do you think regular people can do to help things right now?
Vote and get involved in local civics and community projects.
I’ve always thought that America’s public school system should teach more of the recent past (last 100 years) than it does. It seems like history is more likely to repeat if people don’t know about it. Any thoughts on this? Do you think maga might have been avoided more if people learned more about the Holocaust and Civil Rights eras in school?
That's the dream of the Authoritarian. The only history that matters to an Authoritarian is his own and his own version of the history they want us to embrace. Maybe just as bad, is the removal of civics classes in schools. People grow up and seriously don't know how the government works. If you don't know, you can't see when it is being abused or discarded and you don't know how to engage it and bring about the change you desire using it.
You performed a few songs from Diaspora on your recent tour of Europe. Did you have any nervous moments playing these songs? Tell me about those experiences.
When I finished the album, my label partner Carmen said, "Well, you certainly are brave.. (for putting it out)." Maybe. Being a loud and proud Jew these days can be difficult whether you are screaming for the end of a "Genocide" or you are justifying the deaths of far too many children in war.
A Zionist Jew calling for a ceasefire is hard to wrap your head around for many. I'm not going to lie, I was a bit nervous bringing this material to Europe, especially Germany where I discuss a lot of their shameful history in these songs. But the audience embraced it and loved it. Many were brought to tears and expressed thanks. Choosing to avoid playing this material would have been a great mistake. I nearly chose that. I was given so much love and accolades for the effort that I am so grateful for.
The producer of my show in Germany is also a history teacher. He told me he will be using my song "The River Takes" as an education tool in his classes to teach his students the history of their city. Diaspora is also currently sitting at no.9 on the Euro-Americana chart. Clearly it was the right choice.
Did any people at the shows come up to you afterwards and talk about the songs?
Many. With smiles, with tears in their eyes. With thanks. It's why I do this thing. To connect. To share fears, hopes. Many wanted to talk about what I thought about what is happening in America. Trust me, they know something about Authoritarianism. They see America as losing its leadership role and falling in with the other dictators of the world. It scares them.
I think Diaspora is a fascinating album. Moving beyond the lyrics, you do an amazing job mixing sounds of the past with a contemporary feel. Was it challenging to incorporate such a “timeless” canvas?
Thank you. It was a bit of a challenge at first. I guess I always thought that Jewish music was a bit corny so I stupidly supressed that cutural aspect of myself. This time I decided that I would not lock away my cultural music memory anymore. It was part of the process of fighting for and sharing my humanity as a Jew in the world we live in; the reason for making this record. It always found its way into songs in the past, but this time I really leaned into it. I let it free, and it really spoke for me. It really sets the stage for a deep listen. Takes you to that place.
My buddy David Mansfield (Rolling Thunder Review, Alpha Band) played some devastatingly beautiful violin on the song "Broken World Order" When I first heard it I wept. It was like a compression of time and space. The sound of people, my ancestors. He said, "You can take the klezmer out of the camps, but you can't take the camps out of the klezmer" so true.
Which of the songs on Diaspora is most personal to you and why?
The most personal of all the songs is the title track "Diaspora." The Song tells the story of my family. A story that leads all the way back to the Temples of Jerusalem. The first verse speaks of Levy. the forefather of the Levites for whom my family descends from. His descendants would ultimately be conquered and dispersed through the lands, from Babylon to the Rhine, where my great great great grandparents would end up making their life. Not as refugees, but Jews living in the Diaspora praying each day to one day return to the land of our people. There they would stay until fate would push them further into the Diaspora. The second verse speaks about my Great grandfather who immigrated from the Austrian Empire to the states fleeing pogroms.
It speaks of his longing to make a new life and become real Americans. I grew up feeling like a real American so I guess he succeeded. He also understood the fragility of being a Jew in a new world. A danger that still exists today.
Which takes us to the third verse. This verse is about my generation and my family; and my fears of what happens next. WIll America always be a safe place for my family? Will we again be sent further into the Diaspora. "Where will we go this time? Where will we draw the line? Diaspora. Diaspora." This is not a unique story. It is also a story told by blacks and brown people in America. It is a story told by Palestinians. Jews have been fortunate to reclaim their homeland.
Most peoples, honestly, will not be so lucky. Most will live in the Diaspora, sing their own prayers and celebrate holidays commemorating their return one day. This was my story.
For more on Arlan Feiles, visit his website at arlanfeilesmusic.com.
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