Article Contributed by Gratefulweb
Published on 2026-10-31
It was well below freezing in Lexington the night of January 27, 2026. Kentucky native Brandi Hart had driven home from work, parked her car, and cut off the engine. But this night, Hart couldn't move. She couldn't stop thinking about another woman in a different car, 800 miles away.
The whole country had been roiling at the horrors coming out of Minneapolis. Not one, but two, killings of U.S. citizens in the streets, Renée Good and Alex Pretti. There were many others affected, including Julio César Sosa-Celis, who was shot. And there was five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, who was taken.
Heat rapidly draining from her vehicle, Hart sat shivering, rapt.
The news was streaming live. Cable news journalist Chris Hayes of MS NOW had been riding along with ICE watchers. "Caring is political right now,” said one activist. Said another, "the people who can respond within minutes are the people who are in whistle distance…."
A veteran roots musician, Hart realized she had a song to write. "Music is almost magical in the way it helps us metabolize trauma," she points out. "I knew that if I needed a song in my heart, other people did, too."
Hart’s goal was to mourn loss and celebrate life in the same breath. Naturally, she first imagined the tune as a New Orleans-style funeral march. And "Just Whistle" was born.
She taught the song to the Resistance Choir of Lexington, then recruited some of her favorite local roots musicians. By the time they all performed at No Kings 3 in March, the song had become a folk-funk anthem!
By July, "Just Whistle" was demoed, and members of the local resistance community stepped up as executive producers. By August, more than 20 musicians and singers had piled into a Northside recording studio. By September, GRAMMY-nominated producer Duane Lundy got involved. By October, Hart was performing the song for activists in Minneapolis.
"It's hard to change someone's mind," says Hart, "but I believe in the power of music to change hearts. Our minds can deceive us, but an open heart will always lead you to truth."
"Just Whistle" is now playing on North American folk radio. Hart wants you to know that "Verse 1 is for Alex Pretti. Verse 2 is for Renée Good. And Verse 3 is for all of us because we really do need each other."
To listen to the song and read the lyrics, visit BrandiHart.com
ABOUT BRANDI HART
An acclaimed songwriter, Hart co-founded and fronted roots-music trailblazers The Dixie Bee-Liners, whose recordings produced four bluegrass No. 1s. Hailed by critics as "revolutionary" and "Bible Belt noir," Hart's songwriting anchored four albums released between 2005 and 2015, and she has also appeared on recordings by Emmy-nominated Gangstagrass.
For more information, visit Brandi Hart's official website.
