The African Well Fund is excited to announce an additional way for U2 fans to support this year’s Build a Well for Bono’s Birthday campaign. Courtney Lavender, of the LA based trio Xs & ARROWs, has recorded a poignant version of U2’s “Love is All We Have Left” specifically for the fundraiser. All proceeds from the single will go directly to African Well Fund.
Speaking about the project, Lavender said, “I’ve been supporting African Well Fund since its inception, so I was thrilled and honored to be asked by board member (and friend) Diane Yoder to contribute to this year’s BBW fundraiser. The current partnership with The Humanity Project makes it a special one.” She further reflects, “Caught up in the challenge, I didn’t initially realize it was a return to my roots, albeit this time as a singer and not a guitarist. The song means a tremendous amount to me and I hope I’ve done it justice!” Xs & ARROWs got its start as the U2 cover band EXIT, once joining U2 on stage at the Staples Center in Los Angeles for a performance of the legendary band’s “Out of Control.”
This year, AWF is partnering with The Humanity Project, an organization working in Mloka, Tanzania. Founded by Michael Herman and Rachael Yoder, The Humanity Project has completed the construction of a maternity clinic and is raising funds to provide a clean water source for the clinic. Co-founder Yoder created a video to accompany the single. Speaking of the process, Yoder relates, “The most important thing to me while creating the video was to introduce you (the viewer) to the people of Mloka. We had the great fortune to sit with many of the women in the community and hear their stories and experiences firsthand, and though the camera can only capture a fraction of their light, I hope you can feel it in their smiles from 8,000 miles away.” Of Lavender’s version of the song she states, “Fortunately, Courtney’s vocals encapsulate this spirit perfectly. I was immediately drawn to the message in “Love Is All We Have Left” but there’s something about a female voice echoing that message alongside the images of the women of Mloka that just fits. We are all the same no matter where we’re from, we are one human family, and we have a responsibility to help each other out.”
The song “Love Is All We Have Left” by Xs & ARROWs is available to download or stream on all major platforms. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/love-is-all-we-have-left-single/1374470