Awesome Vegan Musicians
Regardless of what genre you’re thinking of, practicing vegans aren’t limited to the ranks of alternative indie rock and European dance music. In fact, you can find vegans in just about any musical arena, including rock-and-roll and even country.
[Moby has been vegan for over 25 years! ]
Those who choose a vegan diet will do so for a variety of reasons that can include a moral obligation, health reasons or a number of other factors.
Musicians and the arts in particular seem to have taken a higher level of enthusiasm for vegan traditions than any other part of our culture, even as there is a widespread societal move to more sustainable and organic-focused eating.
It just goes to show that you don’t need to have a certain political affiliation or be some sort of extremist to pursue an organic, sustainable diet or even to be a full-on vegan.
Tim Commerford might disagree with the “not having to be a political extremist” part, but even he’s far from hippie.
Here’s a list of awesome vegan musicians that you should get to know, if you don’t already:
1. Carrie Underwood — Carrie Underwood is a practicing Christian, a country music star, a farm girl and yes, a legitimate vegan. A big part of her choosing to become vegan is her love for animals, which she’s stated is an even more important part of her life than her music.
While country music stereotypes don’t leave much room for words like vegetarian and vegan, Underwood is definitely the exception to the rule.
2. Thom Yorke from Radiohead — The longtime lead singer of Radiohead is a staunch environmentalist and has been particularly active and vocal in the political arena. His environmentalism is certainly the driving force behind his vegan diet, as Yorke has long advocated for more sustainable carbon emissions and other environmental regulations.
These views are reflected in Yorke’s music, both with Radiohead as well as an individual artist.
3. Daniel Johns lead singer of Silverchair — It seems like Silverchair has been around for a long time, yet Daniel Johns is only 34 years old. Like Underwood, his belief in animal rights has had a strong influence on his decision to become a vegan, while eating disorders and health issues have also likely played a role.
Johns has expressed his views on animal rights in his music, particularly in “Spawn Again” off of the album Neon Ballroom.
4. Tim Commerford from Rage Against the Machine — Rage Against the Machine hasn’t left any room for doubt about their political or economic ideologies, as they’ve long been known for their anti-capitalist activism, both by way of their music and their participation in political events.
Tim Commerford is the band’s bassist and the only known vegan of the group, and is undoubtedly influenced by the band’s (and his own) political leanings and affiliation. It’s likely that Commerford’s anti-big business views have led him to avoid any animal product that is mass produced, both as a matter of principle and morality.
Cultural Shift
Musicians have, in a sense, overseen a cultural shift towards environmental awareness and animal rights that hasn’t been limited to the “green” or “hippie” genres of music. All across the spectrum of fine arts, people are trending towards these ideals.
While it might be some time before this bleeds into the rest of society, there’s certainly coming a time when animal rights and vegan diets are going to be just as American as baseball and apple pie– gluten and dairy-free, of course.
Marcela De Vivo is a freelance writer, mother and yoga enthusiast whose writing covers everything, including music, health, marketing and more. She enjoys following musicians that are not just about the fame, but for their cause as well. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook today!
