We Are The World

Critically hailed by NME, LA Weekly, Stereogum, L.A. Record and lauded by stars like the late actor/filmmaker Dennis Hopper and Lady Gaga (who called them her favorite band), We Are The World was a boundary-defying experimental outfit blending dark, heavily percussive electronic music with dance, visual and performance art.

We Are The World came together in Los Angeles in the late 2000’s from a collaboration between choreographer Ryan Heffington (HBO’s Euphoria, Christine and the Queens, The OA), composer/artist Robbie C Williamson (Work, Dreamers, Double Diamond Sun Body), designer Megan Gold (Work, Dreamers, Golden Ruins), and choreographer/video artist Nina McNeely (Gaspar Noé's Climax, Björk, The Weeknd). Their early shows included as many as fifteen people on stage, but soon solidified into a tight foursome: Williamson on production and live percussion, Gold as lyricist and lead singer, choreography by Heffington and McNeely, costumes by Heffington with Gold, and McNeely’s live visuals.

We Are the World's theatrical shows earned them a rabid following drawing from a range of aesthetic and cultural sources, exploring issues of political ideology, gender identity and religious fundamentalism. Their heavily stylized wardrobe, including burqas, nightmarish black-and-white masks and outfits inspired by ninjas, guerrilla revolutionaries, Chinese peasants and French mimes, inspired ample amounts of both confusion and enthusiasm. Offstage, the group contributed to tribute albums (honoring The Cure and David Bowie) on the L.A.-centric Manimal Vinyl. The "Clay Stones" single appeared in 2009 on I Am Sound (accompanied by a bewildering video by Alma Har'el) and the band’s debut LP, Clay Stones followed on Manimal in 2010.

We Are The World concluded rather organically when members were drawn to other projects. Ryan opened dance studio The Sweat Spot and began choreographing tours for artists. Nina started the dance/visual collaboration WIFE, while Megan and Robbie transitioned their performance prowess back to their roots as a duo, this time as Dreamers.

Clay Stones (2022 Reissue) includes two previously unreleased, never before heard songs and a .pdf booklet of behind the scenes visual material documenting this monument of an artistic movement.

Lead singer Megan Gold says “The reason ‘Hot Chocolate’ didn't make it on to Clay Stones is unknowable to us now - that song is a fucking jam. 'Lil' Thong’ was a thematic precursor to the Dreamers record, but sonically we didn't feel that it fit.”

Clay Stones (2022 Reissue) and We Are The World’s mysterious goodbye “Piggy Bastard” are both available now.