Greek dreampop duo Keep Shelly in Athens honor the White Rose – a nonviolent Nazi resistance group – and one of its members – Sophia Magdalena School – with two songs released just before Memorial Day. The tracks are “White Rose” and “Sophia Magdalena Scholl.”
Listen to the songs here:
The new songs follow five other releases earlier this year: “Upside Down” on Jan. 28, 2022; “Sick” on Feb. 25, 2022; “Among Wolves” and “Mostly International” on March 25, 2022; and, finally, an acoustic version of “Among Wolves” just a month ago on April 29, 2022.
The ethereal sound Keep Shelly in Athens is known for carries through in their latest releases and explores topics they have been familiar with in the past, namely “the inevitable passing of time.” While the centennial anniversary of World War II edges closer, civil rights continue to be selectively doled out, which makes these songs and their subjects innately relatable.
The White Rose was headed by students and a professor at the University of Munich, where a monument to them remains. They opposed and called for opposition to the Nazi regime by way of leaflet and graffiti campaigns. The core White Rose resistance members, including Scholl, were arrested by the Gestapo in early 1943. They were executed by guillotine on Feb. 22, 1943, just four days after their arrest. Her executioner said “he had never seen anyone die as bravely as Sophie Scholl.” Before her death, Scholl – while not given the opportunity to speak at her trial – repeatedly interrupted the judge.
KSIA describes writing these songs after learning about the group: “When I read about the story of White Rose and Sophie Scholl, which I initially discovered via this YouTube video, I sat down immediately and wrote those songs. I was quite emotional after learning the life stories of these somewhat unsung heroes, and especially Sophia Magdalena Scholl, as she was such an incredible and courageous young woman, who defied the tyranny of evil and gave her life for a greater cause.”
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