Rise Against: Death Of The American Dream
Whilst the world was dealing with the problems of being unprepared for a pandemic, the shadowy depths of politicking plodded on. As we were pulling the masks over our mouths, the leaders of the world were pulling the wool over our eyes. Submitting to the perils of global paranoia, peaceful protests were met with mixed messaging from the powers that be. For RISE AGAINST, they found themselves transforming into the voice of the voiceless once more. This time, they were taking a stand for the Millenials, Gen Y’s and Gen Z’s who have had the decks stacked against them – together, they’re the ‘Nowhere Generation‘.
“After the attempted capital takeover, which was an absolute disgrace, the title became pretty clear – it was able to encapsulate the times” explains guitarist Zach Blair, whose new album with RISE AGAINST – completed by vocalist Tim McIlrath, bassist Joe Principe and drummer Brandon Barnes – is aptly titled after the generation they’re standing up for, adding “There’s this Covid-generation, where there’s so many kids during their formative years dealing with this and it was similar to 9/11 when we were younger, like what a cultural shift that was, and what a scary time that was. I remember right after that happened thinking ‘nothing’s gonna be the same again’, and you know tours stopped during that too.”
As sombre as it seems, there’s a lot to be learned from the landmark moments in our history. As much as the name of their new album comes from the generation that inspired its writing, as a whole, it reflects the same sense of fear that has kept so many of us on the edge of our seats for so long. “We just didn’t know what to do, we were sanitising our groceries, because we weren’t getting a clear message from any of the powers who be, so this record and the nowhere generation really sort of answers a lot of those questions and sums up and encapsulates the dread that comes with vague answers and no real leadership where all you’re asking is ‘what the fuck are we supposed to be doing?’ and no one is giving you an answer.”
As a band, finding answers for the questions we’re all asking is the fist that pounds the drum for RISE AGAINST. It’s no coincidence that Nowhere Generation arrives at the end of the Trump administration in America; the very same administration their last record, 2017’s Wolves, so openly opposed as the celebrity president took his place in the oval office. When RISE AGAINST feel the force of the majority, they rally their tribe-like troops and take their beliefs on tour.
“It’s funny how our two records have bookended the Trump administration,” laughs Zach, before the seriousness of the situation surrounding both records sobers our conversation. “Wolves is about fighting back, finding a tribe and taking on everything, and that was the beginning of this four year long fight, because if we hated this motherfucker, which we did, then we knew we were in for a battle, and it was going to be uphill”
Whilst they feel compelled to be the megaphone for the minority, they found that Nowhere Generation comes from their own struggles as much as it does anyone else’s. It’s a struggle they’re battling every day and something that as we exit the Trump administration, is still far from over. “I live in the American south, you know, I live in Texas, so, I’m in their state and there’s a lot more of them then there are me, so everyday feels like a fucking struggle, and a battle. The overarching theme is it’s not over yet, we still have a ton of work to do, and I love that our guy, Joe Biden, is in office now, it’s absolutely better but it’s just not done.”
RISE AGAINST is not a band born to give up though. They’ve been fighting the good fight for over two decades, standing as activists for animal rights, environmentalism and humanitarianism. Along with bassist Joe Principe taking part in Bassists Against Racists – a campaign that sees bassists release exclusive one-off t-shirts with proceeds going to good causes such as the Black Lives Matter movement -, the band have pushed their partnerships further, teaming up with activist art collective Indecline for the eye-opening video for The Numbers; Nowhere Generation’s anthemic ‘take the power back’ opener.
“They push the boundaries man, they put themselves in harm’s way. They risk arrest, they actually get arrested, and they’re some brave motherfuckers” exclaims Zach, proud of the people they align themselves with, fully aware that not everyone has the opportunity to fight for what’s right in the way that they do. Knowing the world are more glued to their screens than anything else these days, they used their platform and Indecline’s ideas to open their listener’s eyes. “We have your attention and you’re looking at the screen so we’re going to show you some shit that you haven’t gotten, or you have and you didn’t wanna see it so you turned away, but this is happening, so look at this, and Indecline took the idea and just ran with it.”
Having their listener’s attention is a privilege RISE AGAINST pride themselves on having, and a responsibility they feel they have a role to uphold to the highest standard. It’s something that drives them on, no matter how difficult or desperate times may be. On Nowhere Generation, they continue their time-honoured tradition of talking about what matters most to them.
“We’re talking about things that are important to us, and that’s all you can do. If you have a microphone in your face, are you going to tell people to go out and party, or are you going to talk about things that are important to you?” He ponders, pride seeping through his voice in the knowledge that his band fall into the latter camp. It’s one thing to sing, it’s another to sing about something that shines above the noise.
Nowhere Generation is an album of important issues; every track a call for arms, every lyric a cry for help. There’s a duality to the fight that fuels the fire in their bellies. There’s a sickening sense of disarray, the upsetting of the apple cart. The overarching concept that encapsulates the album above everything is the evolution, or devolution, of the American Dream.
“I think the concept of the American Dream is ever changing and evolving, and I think to hold onto some outdated concept of what the American Dream used to be, you’re doing yourself a disservice by not evolving that concept” asserts Zach, before diving in deeper on a problem that’s been a thorn in their sides for some time. “The American Dream used to be a white picket fence, and a man marries a woman no matter their sexual preference because they’re not being honest with themselves, and having two kids, and living in a neighbourhood with people that look like you, and are the same race and go to church, and there’s these straight guidelines of what that’s supposed to be and then that thought process evolved throughout the sixties and people were like ‘this isn’t my American Dream.’”
Their disdain for the American Dream’s classist collapse is simply a piece of a far bigger puzzle, one which involves the very root of American civilisation, as Zach states. “America’s overarching concept is that it’s the land of the free, so you should be able to do whatever you want, and that’s what people are striving for, but as we’ve learned this last year, at least if you’re a person of colour, you can’t always do what you want, you know? Some people of colour get pulled over for a routine traffic stop and get killed, so obviously it’s not for everyone, and I think it’s up to you, whoever you may be and whatever creed, colour, and gender, you know, to fabricate your own American dream, so I think it’s still there in theory and in essence, but whether it’s available for everyone is off the table, which is unfortunate.”
RISE AGAINST have never been acquainted with subtlety, however, Nowhere Generation pulls no punches, taking shots directly at the jugular of America’s classist system. It’s something that’s sewn into the very fabric of their DNA, taken as much from the music they grew up listening to as much as their own views.
“BLACK FLAG had a political message; BAD RELIGION, DEAD KENNEDY’S, THE SEX PISTOLS; THE RAMONES by not having a political message had a political message; whether it was pro-or-anti war, and most punk bands had some sort of a message and that was intrinsic in the influences of this band,” he explains, enthused by that’s which come before them. “We get the privilege to go out and play in front of people and have a mic in our faces, so let’s use that. There’s nothing against not doing that, if you want to talk about whatever the fuck you want to talk about it, go ahead, it’s your band, but for us, it’s what’s always made us tick, and I don’t think there would be a RISE AGAINST without it, and I don’t think there will be a RISE AGAINST without that. No matter how long we’re doing this, I think we’ll always be talking about issues that are important to us.”
As long as bands like RISE AGAINST continue to exist, and as long as they continue to fight against the systematic corruption that plagues our global community, there’s no need to worry about blue skies turning grey. We are the Nowhere Generation, and in RISE AGAINST, we have a voice.
Nowhere Generation is out now via Loma Vista Recordings.
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