Thurston Moore is set to release a new song in support of imprisoned U.S. Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning. It’s titled “Chelsea’s Kiss,” and it arrives October 8 via Blank Editions as part of the U.K. celebration of Cassette Store Day.
Moore’s forthcoming tape also includes a b-side called “Sad Saturday,” cover artwork based on a selfie of Manning, and an insert that unfolds to read “Free Chelsea Manning.” Per Blank Editions’ website, a portion of proceeds will benefit the Chelsea Manning Support Network. The tape is available for pre-order here.
In 2014, Moore joined PJ Harvey, M.I.A., and other celebrities to sign a petition in support of Manning, after she was sentenced to 35 years in military prison for turning over a cache of military and diplomatic records pertaining to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to Wikileaks. Manning, who came out as transgender after her conviction in 2013, recently ended a hunger strike after the military agreed to provide her with prescribed gender-affirming surgery.
