Fredericton band Kill Chicago highlights student debt in new song
A New Brunswick band is tackling the issue of student debt through song.
Fredericton's Kill Chicago asked former students with debt to share their stories with the band. The band then crafted a song, and music video, about those stories titled Take The City.
Greg Webber, the lead singer of the band, said one of the inspirations behind the project was seeing many of his friend having to continue living like students, even with professional jobs.
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"It's impossible when your student loan payment equals your mortgage … to really try to get ahead," said Webber
The New Brunswick Student Alliance said that the average debt New Brunswick students carry is $35,200, the highest in the nation.
The music video includes many former students, and their personal stories. Some stories tell of a student having to work three part-time jobs to make payments, another points to a graduate who isn't working in their field another hopes to have their loan paid off by the time their child starts school.
"I wasn't surprised that people had these stories, but I was really like surprised that people were motivated enough to kind of be honest and share," said Webber.
For Webber repayment of student debt can be disheartening, especially when you consider where some of the money is going.
"You find out that the government's charging you, you know, $6-7 a day interest, and that money doesn't even go to the schools, or the teachers that taught you ... it just goes to banks," said Webber.
Kill Chicago will be playing the Larlee Creek Hullabaloo in Perth-Andover at 10:30 p.m. Saturday. They will also be opening up for the Fredericton screening of The Tragically Hip's concert on August 20 in Officer's Square.
