Rupa and the April Fishes Tackle Gentrification, Police Violence on ‘Growing Upward’

Rupa Marya is the frontwoman of the band Rupa and the April Fishes, but that’s only one item on her resume. Marya is an associate professor of medicine at UCSF, where she directs the Do No Harm coalition that fights against police violence in San Francisco. She also provided medical care at Standing Rock and fought for the “Happy Birthday” song to enter the public domain. Rupa and the April Fishes’ latest release, “Growing Upward,” takes on gentrification, indigenous rights, police violence, climate change and more. She joins us in the studio to talk about her art and activism.