In The Sun Foundation

In the sun foundation.org is the home of a very special project launched by R.E.M.'s lead singer, Michael Stipe, in response to the ongoing hardship experienced by thousands of residents of the Gulf Coast. More than five months later, many are still displaced by the devastating effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita with no relief imminent, and yet, the news cycle has moved on, taking our focus, as a nation, away from something which still should be at the center of our attention. In this spirit, Stipe felt moved to join others who have remained dedicated to the cause, reminding the public in his own way, through music, that there is still an incredible amount of work to be done: "Things are not fine. The storm is still impacting people's lives in very real ways and many have been left desperate.   I want to remind each of us that as humans, and certainly as Americans, it is our responsibility to help those in need... I had to do something as a public figure. The one thing I can do is sing, and it's probably the best way to get people to pay attention." To that end, Stipe will release a charity EP featuring six versions of a song, "In the Sun," which the singer hopes will remind the public of the continued suffering of survivors of Hurricane Katrina. All proceeds will go directly to Mercy Corps, an international humanitarian agency, via the In The Sun Foundation, to aid those in the Gulf Coast affected by the August tragedy. "No matter where you go in the world, people are the best agents of their own recovery in situations like this," said Mercy Corps CEO Neal Keny-Guyer.  "Michael and everyone he mobilizes to buy the song are investing in the people of the Gulf Coast, giving them the resources they need to get back on their feet."

With music as his preferred medium, Stipe chose to cover the aforementioned song, "In the Sun," a powerful, anthemic ballad written by singer/songwriter Joseph Arthur, whom he became aware of through R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck. "The first time Joseph and I spoke, he was in New Orleans," Stipe says, "and I had to call a New Orleans number to reach him to have that first conversation. When I saw what happened with Katrina, 'In the Sun' came to mind. He writes from a very deep, intuitive place."

When it came time to record, it wasn't hard for Stipe to recruit the artists who participated in the project. Musician/producer/remixer James Iha [ex-Smashing Pumpkins] recorded the music and produced the track at Stratosphere Sound Studio in New York City, finding tremendous support from many talented musicians and technicians, including Fountains of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger, who plays piano on the track.   In addition to a duet with Coldplay's Chris Martin, singer Justin Timberlake and will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas) contributed a remix of the song. "Everyone who has worked on the "In The Sun" project, without exception," says Stipe, "was happy to contribute their time, talents, and expertise, free of charge.  I realized that so many people wanted to do something, anything, towards helping the Gulf Coast, and this presented them with a way to do just that.  The generosity is unparalleled."

The duet with Coldplay's Chris Martin will premiere on ABC's   Grey's Anatomy on February 5th (following the Super Bowl--check local listings for air times) and, along with the other five versions, will be made available for digital download in an EP format exclusively through iTunes on February 5th at 11PM EST. As mentioned, all proceeds will go directly to Mercy Corps via the In The Sun Foundation, to aid those in the Gulf Coast affected by the August tragedy.

"Disasters like this require a long-term commitment to recovery," said Mercy Corps' Keny-Guyer, "and Michael is serving a very important need by reminding the public that this reconstruction effort is going to take years, not months."

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