A few months ago, Ukip – the millionaire’s ego trip masquerading as a political movement – came out complaining about leftwing comedians not giving it a chance. It was a welcome reminder that comedians such as Mark Steel, Stewart Lee or Mark Thomas are still able make bigots squirm in their seats. Bill Hicks, a hero of mine, was a master of it. But I couldn’t help notice that Nigel Farage and his kind didn’t moan in similar tones about Britain’s musicians. Well, why would he? Either they aren’t a threat, or their voices aren’t being heard.

Take Paloma Faith, one of the stars of the recent Brit awards. She is from Hackney, which in the same week was named as the local authority with the highest level of deprivation in England. Faith is now taking writer Owen Jones on the road with her in an effort to convince potential Ukip voters to change their mind. We need to start hear more of these voices of political opposition in popular music itself. Young people especially need some good to believe in.

In times gone by, there were few things cooler than rallying against the establishment, from Marvin Gaye during the civil rights movement to John Lennon with his anti-war message. Some of the most prominent names in punk and new wave took part in the Rock Against Racism concerts of the late 70s and early 80s, as Elvis Costello and The Clash waged war on the National Front. The Red Wedge Tours of the mid-80s gathered pace with help from acts such as Style Council and The Smiths. I’ve still to ask Noel Gallagher how he ended up endorsing Labour’s campaign, but even he now speaks of being disenfranchised.

Subversion is a creative gift so not all political action needs to be overt. The most engaging of issue-based songs, such as Billie Holiday’s Strange Fruit or Sam Cooke’s A Change is Gonna Come, are a far cry from the traditional image of the ranting protest singer hammering away on their acoustic guitar. Sometimes anger alone can be an unhelpful emotion in music.

I am from north Wales, where we have for decades felt the sustained disdain of the British establishment for the regions, from our valleys being flooded to provide drinking water to English cities, to the building of nuclear power stations in areas of incredible natural beauty, as far away from the Tory-voting heartlands as possible. With my band, Super Furry Animals, we knew how to have fun, but occasionally anger and frustration spilled out. We weren’t what you would call a political band, but at the same time we didn’t shy away from talking about it.

Writing songs in Welsh was a natural thing for us as native Welsh speakers to do, but there was undoubtedly an element of defending and promoting our culture against those who would see it eroded. We bought a tank as a promotional tool, but it also made a stand against the civil liberties limiting the Criminal Justice Act, by making the driver/DJ immune to arrest. We joined the campaign for a nuclear-free Wales, and I still take an active interest in the campaign to see nuclear power, and its twin Trident, become things of the past.

I’m in awe of young wordsmiths such as Hollie McNish and Stephen Morrison-Burke, who come out and say what needs to be said without a guitar or keyboard in front of them as a crutch or distraction. You need real conviction to be able to say as much as they do, as loud as they do, without any band members around them to share the responsibility. I’m proud to be working with them and others, including Steve Mason – a rare political, musical beast – on a protest album that tries to react to the populist media bombarding us with anti-Islam, anti-immigration, anti-poor people sentiments, seeming to blame anyone but those who hold real power. All the while the public are made to subsidise expensive, long-term energy contracts, transferring public money to the French state, and £100bn is easily found for the folly of a nuclear military “deterrent” while the NHS is sold off in pieces.

I wish Britain’s biggest selling artists, such as Ed Sheeran, George Ezra and Sam Smith would join us. As long as British musicians lack political motivation, surely we will get the governments we deserve.