Rise Against return with their ninth studio album, Nowhere Generation, on June 4th. As it was recently announced, Mayor Lori Lightfoot will proclaim that very same date as “Rise Against Day” in the city of Chicago.
Having their own day named after them in their hometown of Chicago is quite an honor for the melodic hardcore outfit, but it’s well deserved. The band has been going strong for more than 20 years, bringing punk-infused socially conscious rock music to the mainstream with Top 10 radio hits like “Prayer of the Refugee”, “Savior”, and “Help Is on the Way”, among others.
Now, they’re back with Nowhere Generation, filled with songs that detail the plight of millennials trying to make it through a tough economy while offering hope that better days could lie ahead.
Heavy Consequence recently caught up with Rise Against frontman Tim McIlrath via video Zoom to talk about the new album, including the songs “Nowhere Generation” and “Numbers”, as well his experience during the pandemic and his outlook for the return of live shows.
The singer-guitarist also discussed the inspiration of one of his favorite bands, Fugazi, and how he connects his feelings toward the legendary post-hardcore act with the response of his own band’s fans to Rise Against.
“People … want you to understand what your band means to them, like it’s important that you understand it, and that you shouldn’t just shrug it off — and you certainly shouldn’t dismiss it,” McIlrath told us. “When I see someone approach me … and they’re really excited about meeting me or taking a picture … it took me a while to not dismiss the interaction.”
He continued, “Me talking myself, it’s like, ‘Dude, Tim, you would’ve done the same thing if you saw [Fugazi’s] Ian MacKaye walking down the street. So, you need to chill out and take a picture with this kid.’ And when I think about it that way, it changes my relationship with that fan.”
Check out our full video interview with Tim McIlrath above, and order Rise Against’s new album, Nowhere Generation, here. You can also catch the band on their headlining summer U.S. tour, kicking off in late July.
Trouble viewing the video above? Watch on YouTube.
