Our ethos
For millennia, the earth was wild and untamed. It teemed with life without human interference or destruction of natural habitats. But as we humans have grown in number and reach, that pristine wilderness has been diminished - meaning not only for its beauty but also the creatures who once inhabited it freely alongside us. Music inspired by nature can be a powerful way to tap into this connection: an attempt at restoring, inspiring our reverence for Earth's many gifts, its elements both seen and unseen; a reminder that although humanity may dominate much of what surrounds us today, it will never quite extinguish that spiritual tie between ourselves and all creation on which depends our future wellbeing too.
About
Live music from the heart of nature
We Are Wild Sessions is a grassroots project connecting nature and music in an inspiring way. Led by singer-songwriter Jya Raine, this platform has a mission of raising awareness for environmental causes while showcasing how art can be elevated through its influence from natural sources. All are invited to join and share how you create powerful songs, stories and poetry that evoke beauty as well as enrapturing lyrics.
Get ready to discover something truly heartwarming!
'Knowing that you love the earth changes you,, activates you to defend and protect and celebrate. But when you feel that the earth loves you in return, that feeling transforms the relationship from a one-way street into a sacred bond'
From the book Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
A note from the Founder and creator:
Hi, I’m Jya.
This project began on the west coast of Scotland during a major transition in my life. I'd come here with my partner after I recently broke my back, a life-changing experience that, along with other changes, challenged my mental and physical health.
I spent my days walking through lush, untamed woodlands, collecting wild edible mushrooms, watching the sea ebb and flow at the end of the garden, listening to the ever-shifting weather that could never quite make its mind up and listening to my partners music drifting from one room while I painted in another. It was a deeply creative, transformative time. Scotland is where my relationship with the natural world became a priority in my everyday life, sanctuary and healing space for my mind and heart to comprehend the changes I'd gone. One day, out on a walk, the idea for this project just came to me, and my partner and I went and filmed out first session (watch here). Life changed, we moved again but the idea stayed in the back of my mind for nearly three years before I fully stepped into it.
My mental health has been an ongoing challenge since I broke my back in 2018, and like many I've just had to learn how to manage it. In this I've found a lot of solace in wild landscapes; from wild waves stormy on the rocks to the quiet spaces hiding moss, birds and mushrooms under the trees. And everyday I see unsettling realities where people are so disconnected and unaware of their ancient connection to nature. We are nature, it is not separate from us. And as a creative, nature is a muse for all of my work. I am in awe of the wild and I believe through our relationship to nature we can overcome a lot of our problems we face today.
I work as a freelance photographer and videographer, artist and musician, you can see my independant works here