Seb Lowe pens new song with Oldham residents to address hate crime

The Glastonbury performing singer has written a song with young people from Oldham dedicated to addressing hate crimes in modern society.

Seb Lowe, from Delph in Oldham has penned ‘Change the Pattern’, which is released today.

He has put it out to help support the borough’s effort to raise awareness of hate crime and the negative impacts it can have.

It is part of a national week of action against hate crimes across the UK.

The inspiration behind the song first came about after he took part in a creative writing workshop with a group of 20 students from Oldham Theatre Workshop (OTW) and members of Oldham’s Youth Council.

It was here where Seb, an OTW alumni, collaborated with children aged between 13 and 16 to discuss the topic of hate crime and learn more about their own personal experiences of hate and what they’d heard elsewhere.

The singer-songwriter then took these stories away with him and used their words as the basis for his new lyrics, which talk about the real-life issues of hate and the devastating effects it can have on people’s lives.

Reflecting on his new song, Seb said: “We all know the world can be a cruel place, but it is through our actions as individuals, that we can make it a better place.

“In the song, I talk about the thoughts and opinions that are passed down to us through generations, thoughts that in some cases, can be quite hateful.

“But there’s a generational gap between older and young people now, and it’s on us to change those thoughts and to change that pattern for our future.”

Seb was keen to unpick the thoughts and opinions of younger people as part of his new song because he said ‘some of the best thoughts come from those who don’t think it is their place to have an opinion.

“The young people I spoke with gave such a strong insight into the world they currently see, and the impact hate has on society,” he added.

“When they first started the workshop, they all came in thinking ‘Oh what will I say’ but once we go into some activities and teased out their thoughts, it was astonishing how much they had to say.

“Hate is a very serious topic to discuss, and I can see why a lot of people would shy away from talking about it because it’s not nice a subject, but through music we can help to play out those emotions and feelings, to magnify them – and this can lead to action.”

‘Change the Pattern’ was released today via Seb’s official social media channels, with the 19-year-old now set to take his new material on stage at his upcoming headline performances across Yorkshire later this month. 

The song, which you can listen to in full on Seb’s Tik Tok channel @Seb.lowe.music, will also be featured in Oldham Theatre Workshop’s pioneering ‘You Stand Accused’ immersive theatre experience, which continues to educate secondary school children across the borough on the severity of hate crime.