warsong, submission For SECRET 7” 2025

An unselected double-sided design submission for the Secret 7” X WAR CHILD 2025 charity auction. 

From the website:

“Secret 7" brings together 7 iconic tracks from 7 of the world’s top musicians, each pressed just 100 times onto a 7” vinyl.

Creative minds from across the globe are invited to reinterpret these tracks, producing 700 one-of-a-kind sleeve designs.

All 700 sleeves are showcased at a free exhibition before being auctioned off in support of War Child. The twist? Both artists and musicians remain anonymous until buyers have parted with their cash.”

I chose to respond to the track ‘Warsong: Troxy Live 2024’, by The Cure. Lyrics below:

Oh, it's misery the way we fight
For bitter ends we tear the night in two
I want your death, you want my life
We tell each other lies to hide the truth
And we hate ourselves for everything we do
The shame, wounded pride, vengeful anger burning deep inside
Poison in our blood
And pain, broken dreams, mournful hopes
For all we might have been, all misunderstood
No way out of this
No way for us to find a way to peace
We never found before
However we regret
All we will ever know is bitter ends
For we were born to war
For we were born to war
However we regret
All we will ever know is bitter ends
For we were born to war

I thought the guitar notes and feedback sounded a little bit like hyenas, that sparked the idea of showing hyenas and lions, rather than a more obvious human route. The paradox of intelligent, social, nurturing, pack animals also engaging in maximum violence for resources / territory felt like an apt visual analogy for both the music & lyrics.