‘The Pain We Keep Alive’ is about an uncomfortable truth, the more we look away, the more we distance ourselves from the problems people face here in the Northern Territory and remote Australia, the longer we give life to the pain these problems bring. The lyrics contain the description of the story of oppression and how modern Australia has addressed it. The Bridging the Gap Royal Commission’s findings and evidence that these problems have not gone away, in many cases have become worse and yet the perception in the media, for the sake of tourism or to globally save face as a nation, is that equality not only exists but is celebrated. It makes you realise there is a more troubling narrative here that non indigenous Australians find a subconscious benefit or gain from feeling separated and not the same, and therefore not part of or responsible for helping in the struggles and oppression. This track asks this difficult question, why are we not doing more, why is it accepted as ok? more