In a recent interview with Germany’s Rock Antenne, Tim McIlrath of Rise Against shared his thoughts on U.S. political issues.
“I like to think that people come to our shows no matter what, but there’s something about people coming to our shows now where they need it,” the frontman said. “They need to be at the show, under the same roof with like-minded people who are concerned about the future of the world.”
He continued, “And we’re concerned about the future of America and the future of the world. A Trump White House is a disaster. It’s been a disaster every single day it’s been there. Lots of sad things are happening, lots of things that make you really angry.”
“And so this is the kind of era that our band was built for. This is what we were made for, this is why we’re here. So we have these songs to play to kind of talk about the same things we’ve been talking about for 25 years,” McIlrath added about Rise Against’s mission.
McIlrath previously discussed Rise Against’s career and punk’s politics. The band is proud to be political and has addressed issues like animal rights and war. He thinks politics in punk was once easier.
The singer said, “There was a time when we started the punk in hardcore where the scene and the people we played for – A lot of times, we were all on the same team. You know what I mean? Like, everybody kind of shared the same beliefs. So, in that way, it was easy, but it was almost easy in a way that shouldn’t be easy.”
“You shouldn’t just be talking to people who you agree with. You should be talking to people that disagree with you. So, now, I think we live in a world and Rise Against lives in a world and plays shows for people who have many different perspectives,” Tim explained.
He then noted, “So, it’s more challenging, but it’s more fun in a way. It’s more exciting to kind of know that your message is not just reaching people who agree with you, but it also reaches people who don’t agree with you. You know, it can be polarizing to mix politics with your music. That’s who we are as a band. It’s part of our DNA. It’s why, I think, people value us. It’s something we’re always gonna do.”
Rise Against released a new single, ‘Nod,’ after three years on January 23, 2025. It will be part of their upcoming album, which follows 2021’s ‘Nowhere Generation.’
