Artist Interview: Sylvie Abate

An Interview by Indie Talk with Founder Sylvie Abate, Artists & Activists Records The following interview was conducted by Indie Talk with Sylvie Abate, founder of Artists & Activists Records. This written Q&A explores what’s happening at the label, its impact in Austin and beyond, and how music and activism intersect to create meaningful change.

Sylvie Abate is an Americana songwriter, classically trained guitarist, and the visionary behind Artists & Activists Records. Based in Austin, Texas, Sylvie has earned honors from the Academia Music Awards, Global Music Awards, Independent Music Awards, and W.A.M. Awards. With a background in both classical and indie music, having performed with ensembles and groups such as Celticity and The BeeKeepers, her musical career is rooted in skill and soul.

In 2023, Sylvie launched Artists & Activists Records, an independent label dedicated to supporting vegan artists and promoting music that advocates for animals, people, and the planet. The label is a global platform for artists using their voices for change. In this interview, Sylvie discusses the label’s mission, current projects, and how Artists & Activists Records is helping redefine what it means to make music with purpose.

What inspired you to start Artists & Activists Records?

I believe everyone has a gift to share, and mine is music. I started Artists & Activists Records to use that gift to speak up for animals, a cause that urgently needs more voices. Factory farming is the biggest source of animal cruelty in the world. Each year, over 80 billion land animals and trillions of fish are killed for food. Their suffering is unimaginable, and the damage to our planet and health is heartbreaking. It drives climate change, poisons our water, wrecks our oceans, and spreads disease. Yet the movement to stop this remains small but powerful. With this label, I wanted to create a space for musicians who are raising their voices, artists using their songs to spark compassion and change. Music can open hearts, and this is my way of helping people see with more kindness.

"Imagine what the world would look like if, from the moment we were born, we were taught that all beings deserve a life free from pain and suffering. It might sound cliché, but I truly believe that peace begins on your plate."

How can music make an impact in the animal rights movement, and what have you seen so far? Music has always been a powerful force for social change. It helped drive the civil rights movement and anti-war protests, and inspired action in the fight for environmental justice. Music reaches people on an emotional level helping to create a space for connection, reflection, and compassion in a way that facts alone often cannot.

In the case of animal rights, there is often a disconnect. Most people love animals and do not want to harm them. But when they are confronted with the realities of factory farming, it creates a deep sense of cognitive dissonance. That discomfort can lead to denial, defensiveness, or simply looking the other way. Music has the ability to break through those barriers. It opens hearts, softens resistance, and allows people to truly feel the suffering animals endure. And once people begin to feel, they begin to care. That is where real change starts.

In the animal rights movement, music is still underutilized, but the potential is enormous. Artists like Moby have shown what’s possible. His music, public activism, and documentaries have brought animal issues to mainstream audiences. Paul McCartney has used his voice for decades to advocate for animals, helping millions rethink the way they eat and live. Billie Eilish and others have also spoken out, using their platforms to promote compassion. Here's Paul McCartney explaining animal rights in the video Glass Walls.

At Artists & Activists Records, we want to amplify that kind of impact. Our first release, Heart Break Like Mine, reached over 20,000 people via various platforms who watched the video or listened to the song. That’s 20,000 people who were exposed to a powerful message through music. It proves that music can reach hearts and open minds.

Tell us about your upcoming projects!

Upcoming Album: The Compassion Project We’re preparing to release a powerful compilation album titled The Compassion Project: Songs for Animal, Human, and Earth Justice. The goal is to elevate the message of animal rights by connecting it with people who also care about healing humanity and the planet. It's a project rooted in compassion and kindness, featuring 20 songs across multiple genres and artists. The release is set for the first week of September.

New Single for World Farm Animals Day

After that, we’re releasing our next single for World Farm Animals Day on October 2. The song, Tears Me Up by Bryon William Harris, honors the day by shedding light on the emotional journey of awakening. It captures the feeling of wishing you had known the truth sooner, and the sorrow that often follows. Many vegans experience this moment of regret, but also a renewed sense of purpose. The song speaks to that transformation, from grief to growth, and from awareness to action. What was your most emotional moment as an animal rights activist? Once you understand what animals go through, it never leaves you. You can't be human and not feel the emotion. I wrote a blog article to raise awareness about the issues and there is also a video by Paul McCartney on our website. But if I had to name what first issue that ignited my passion, it was learning about what dairy cows and female animals endure. As a feminist, there was no way I could turn a blind eye just because cows, hens, goats or pigs are a different species. Their suffering is real, and it is the same as ours. The constant cycle of forced pregnancies carried out by workers throughout their lives, their confinement, their complete lack of freedom, the stealing of their babies to take their bodily fluids, the mutilations inflicted upon their bodies, being used like machines, and so much more. It is all deeply violent and inhumane. It is unbearable to think about at times, and that is exactly why I feel so strongly about giving a voice to these innocent beings. They deserve to be seen, heard, respected and protected and to live their own lives. What message or feeling do you hope people take away after listening to the music released by Artists & Activists Records? I hope our music helps start honest conversations about animal rights. These are conversations that often get avoided because they are uncomfortable. I want to help take down those walls and say it’s time. We need to talk about this openly and start making real changes.

Music can reach people in a way that facts and arguments cannot. It speaks directly to the heart. My hope is that when someone hears one of our songs, something softens in them. Maybe it stirs a feeling they can’t explain right away, but it stays with them, and maybe they decide it's time to learn more and make changes. Maybe it helps them begin to see animals not as products, but as living beings, no different from dogs and cats, who feel pain and deserve kindness.

"I believe compassion begins with awareness, and awareness often begins with emotion. If our music can plant even one seed of compassion, then it is doing what it was created to do."

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