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After spending the fall breaking into the Billboard Top Three and rejoicing over a governmental sea change, political punks Rise Against won't be resting on their laurels any time soon. The third video from fifth album Appeal To Reason, "Hero of War," hits the Web today (watch behind-the-scenes footage from the set above, and catch the whole clip — which explores the disturbingly personal effects of battle — on the next page). The band is touring North America in the summer with legendary snot-rocketers Rancid opening for them, and capping it all off with a hometown appearance at Chicago's Lollapalooza festival. The band also just released a self-titled 7" featuring two "short-fast-punk-blasts" reminiscent of their earlier, speedier days. Rolling Stone caught up with lead singer Tim McIlrath to find out about the eventual follow-up to Reason, how to rock against things besides Bush, and what exactly they won't do for Disney.
Tell us about the Fat Wreck Chords 7".
It's two extra songs from our last recording session. The songs in
their nature were kind of a throwback to our earlier days. We
thought it would be cool to go to back to the old boss, Fat Mike,
and see if he wanted to put them out. Luckily, [Interscope] was
really cool about allowing us to do that... especially in this day
and age when labels are so hard up for any way to sell record.
Do you guys have any ideas for a new studio
album?
Nothing that has had time to come to fruition. We haven't been in a
practice space all year. In fact rehearsing for this new Rancid
tour coming up will be the first time we'll be in a room to just
hang out and play. I wouldn't be surprised if some stuff comes out
of that.
Do you think you're going to have a different lyrical
approach for your first record after the Bush years?
This record we just did was very non-Bush. We knew that by the time
it came out we would be looking at a different president. I think
that the problems that we've addressed in our records, were never
specific to the Bush era... I think too much credit is given to
George Bush for the problems of things like the right wing and
Republican Party. The problems are still here. George Bush was
merely a symptom of a much broader disease.
Have you been paying attention to what Green Day has
been up to?
I heard a single. I thought it was good. I'm one of those people
who were never really a Green Day fan until American
Idiot, actually. I liked Screeching Weasel, and I was a total
Lookout! Records fan. But as soon as I got into it, I moved right
on to Fugazi.
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Do you think they're helping set the stage for people to
make ambitious statements with political punk on a larger
scale?
Definitely. By their sheer size and just how they inundated the
world with their music. They're the U2 of my generation. The fact
that they have taken that, and write a record like American Idiot,
and to continue with those politics today — that's setting a
precedent. Especially for such a broad musical fanbase. Kids in
Middle America, who grow up in conservative towns, they're letting
them know: "Hey, if you don't agree with the government, with the
bloodthirsty trigger-happy patriotism that are country is infected
with. You're not alone. There's is more of us out there." When
bands get big, you risk a lot by choosing to be political.
You guys are an anti-consumerism band thrust into bigger
levels of exposure. Do you have to turn down
opportunities?
Oh yeah. We did a cover of a Danny Elfman song off of A
Nightmare Before Christmas. We were all big fans of the movie,
part of that cult fan base. So when we we're approached by a
company like Disney, it was weird. But it's a song by a songwriter
we know and love — it's fucking Danny Elfman! So we thought
let's be a part of this. And it was awesome. That was a good
thing... So, Disney was like "You guys did a great job with A
Nightmare Before Christmas, we loved it, people loved it. We
have another project we'd like you to be a part of. We want you to
cover songs from High School Musical." Needless to say,
much to my daughter's chagrin, it was something that's obviously
not us. It would just be awful.
Have you seen High School
Musical?
I have not. My daughter is turning to five this summer, so she's
just starting to get into that kind of stuff. We have the
soundtrack... because they sent me the soundtrack
[Laughs].