In just its fourth week, Rise Against‘s new single, “Nowhere Generation,” is exploding at radio and global streaming: the track is knocking on Rock Radio’s Top 15 door at #16, closing in on Alternative’s Top 20 at #22, its total airplay continues to multiply exponentially, and has amassed more than 3.5 million global streams, and counting. So, naturally, with that kind of heat, today the punk rockers announce a whole new spin on the track, “Nowhere Generation (Ghost Note Symphonies),” a stripped-down, reimagined take on the original that stays true to its punk spirit and blistering message. You can check out “Nowhere Generation (Ghost Note Symphonies”) below.
Produced by Bill Stevenson, Andrew Berlin, and Chris Beeble, and recorded in August 2020 at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, CO, Rise Against – Tim McIlrath/ vocals, rhythm, guitar, Joe Principe/bass, Brandon Barnes/drums, and Zach Blair/guitar – was joined by musicians on violin, viola, cello, upright bass, and piano, instruments one wouldn’t expect on a Rise Against album, but that offer a fresh dynamic to the song.
This is not the first time Rise Against has transformed one of its fiery punk rock songs into a beautifully orchestrated acoustic presentation. Twenty-eighteen saw the release of “Ghost Note Symphonies, Vol 1,” a creative endeavor where the band reimagined their music in a way no one expected. The stripped-down orchestration was raw and revealing lyrically while powerful and compelling musically.
Said vocalist/lyricist McIlrath, “Any good song should be able to be stripped down to an acoustic guitar and played around a campfire. ‘Nowhere Generation’ struck us as one of those songs and we returned to the Blasting Room last year after finishing the album to track an acoustic version that we included as the B-side of a limited edition seven inch. To make it happen, we called up our Ghost Note string players and changed the feel. We gave it ‘The Ghost Note Symphonies’ unplugged treatment to re-create the same song but with a completely different vibe.”
“Nowhere Generation“ is the title track from what may be the most consequential album of RISE AGAINST‘s 20-year career, due out June 4 on Loma Vista Recordings. The eleven songs on “Nowhere Generation” call out today’s social, economic, and political factors that are undermining and redefining one of the core tenants of being an American: that despite your race, place of birth, or societal class, if you apply yourself and work hard, you can achieve your vision of a fuller, richer and better life, The American Dream. What is tantamount to a sell-out of the Middle Class is the thread that runs through the album. Said vocalist/lyricist/rhythm guitarist Tim McIlrath: “The brass ring that was promised by hard work and dedication no longer exists for everyone. When the privileged climb the ladder of success and then burn it from the top, disruption becomes the only answer.”
“Nowhere Generation” album art
RISE AGAINST — McIlrath, Joe Principe (bass), Brandon Barnes (drums) and Zach Blair (lead guitar) — recorded “Nowhere Generation” at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, Colorado, under the tutelage of Jason Livermore, Andrew Berlin, Chris Beeble and longtime producer/engineer Bill Stevenson (BLACK FLAG, THE DESCENDENTS). Stevenson has worked with the band on nearly all of their acclaimed releases since their sophomore effort, 2003’s “Revolutions Per Minute”, and is often described as RISE AGAINST‘s fifth member. “Bill is our not-so-secret weapon,” Principe explained. “He really has helped shape the band; he gets what we want to do and will go with us when we think outside the box. He’s the perfect producer for the style of music we play because he has an insane pop sensibility and the hardcore side to him as well.”
In addition to the communal call to arms embedded in “Nowhere Generation”‘s dynamic title track, there’s the fast and furious anti-establishment manifesto “Broken Dreams, Inc.”, the moody ballad “Forfeit”, “Sudden Urge”, a true nod to the band’s rock’n’roll side with an overall punk-vibe, the simplicity of “The Numbers” with a melody that will stick in your head, and the surprise pop candor in “Talking To Ourselves“, a standout song about wanting to be heard and wondering if anyone is listening. “It describes a lot of what RISE AGAINST does,” says McIlrath, “to speak and scream when we feel there are things that are happening that aren’t being addressed.”
“When I was growing up,” said Principe, “I listened to bands like 7 SECONDS, BAD BRAINS, MINOR THREAT and BAD RELIGION. All of those bands’ music had a sense of hope with the world, a truly positive global view of what life can be. From the beginning, we’ve wanted RISE AGAINST to have that same positivity, to have our music be an inspiration for people to bring about change in their own lives, they just have to put forth the effort and speak up.”
