It’s Pride! Throughout June, HollywoodLife is running The Sound Of Pride, a month-long feature where members of the LGBTQ+ community pick songs that should be on your Pride 2022 playlist. As the month comes to a close, The Sound Of Pride now aims to help all those who celebrated retain that spirit of jubilation — and that determination to fight for greater acceptance and tolerance — throughout the rest of the year. For this installment, Manuel Gardner Fernandes, the singer/guitarist for the metal band Unprocessed, joins in to share his song selections and why Pride going forth needs to be “bigger, louder, and prouder than ever before.”
“The world is becoming more open-minded every day,” Manuel tells HollywoodLife, “but there is still a lot to do when it comes to spreading the word in addition to tolerance and acceptance. As well as being a month-long celebration, Pride month is also an opportunity to peacefully protest and raise political awareness of current issues facing the community.”
Unprocessed will connect with the community –metal, LBGTQ+, and the wide crossover in between – when they hit North America in late July. The group will join Polyphia for a near-six week tour, hitting cities like New York, Toronto, Minneapolis, Seattle, and Austin. Check here for more info, including how to buy tickets. As you prepare to catch Unprocessed in person, listen to Manuel’s picks for The Sound Of Pride.
Unprocessed, “Rain”
In my opinion, our song “Rain” should be the first one on that list. It’s about a love story based on a queer relationship which is also the big topic in the music video for it.
Unprocessed, “Closer”
“Closer” would be the second suggestion because its energy would fit into a playlist and is a good contrast to “Rain.”
What do you think is the overall vibe or attitude of Pride 2022?
The world is becoming more open-minded every day. But there is still a lot to do when it comes to spreading the word in addition to tolerance and acceptance. As well as being a month-long celebration, Pride month is also an opportunity to peacefully protest and raise political awareness of current issues facing the community. Although attitudes and injustice still remain, we have come a long way since the sixties and by continuing in this long-standing tradition, we continue to raise awareness.
Pride Month is a time to give love to unsung heroes. Are there any who you’d want to get more mainstream recognition?
Personally, I’d love to have more Rock / Metal Bands in the Billboards [charts] or in the mainstream again. The early 00s were pretty famous for their tolerance for heavy music, for example, having rock and pop-punk bands played during house parties or soundtracks in movies.
What are, or were, your plans for Pride 2022?
This might shock you a little bit but I’ve never been to Pride or CSD [Christopher Street Day] before. So I’ll definitely make my first visit a legendary one and hopefully, it will become a tradition for me.
What is a Pride 2022 message you’d like to share with our readers?
Wherever you happen to be celebrating Pride this year, the standout moments are bound to be the Pride parades. After a quiet couple of years due to the pandemic, we have to be sure this year’s processions will be bigger, louder, and prouder than ever before.