STICK TO YOUR GUNS announced that their ferocious new album Keep Planting Flowers will arrive on January 10 via new label SharpTone Records. Today, the So Cal band previously shared the video for “More Than a Witness.” Watch it here. It’s less than two-and-a-half minutes in length, and while short, it packs a massive punch.
“‘More Than a Witness’ was a song that poured out of us, from the riffs to the lyrics it was clear that the substance of this song was something that desperately needed to come out and I’m glad it did,” says James. “It’s one of my favorites from the new album and truly is a reminder that we each have our own responsibility in fighting for a better way of life for all.”
Barnett also weighs in, saying, “The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways. The point, however, is to change it. Whether we all like it or not, every day we are engaging in a collective society where what we do, or don’t do, has a cause and effect on each other, and other things. While most of us have completely isolated ourselves by individualizing every aspect of our lives, it can be difficult to see why what doesn’t directly affect you right now in this moment should have any significance to you at all. For me, personally, I have committed to my role of no longer just sitting back and watching our world spin out into a death spiral but rather I will do what I can when I can with what I have. No matter how futile it may seem to be to some. To me, this is what it means to be truly human. And like the late great Kris Kristofferson says: ‘Try to tell the truth and stand your ground. DON’T LET THE BASTARDS GET YOU DOWN.'”
Stick To Your Guns will play a special record release show set for Friday, January 10, 2025, with special guests The Warriors, Mugshot, Stateside, and Initiate at The Observatory in Santa Ana, California.
“Keep Planting Flowers is a collection of songs that exist to spite the nihilistic narrative that plagues our minds and societies,” Barnett says about the album. “One that says things are just the way that they are and that regardless of the burning rage or depthless depression that this fills us with, there is simply nothing we can do about it. I militantly reject such a joyless outlook on the one life that I get the honor of living. A new world needs a new you, so no matter how bad things get, keep planting flowers.”
Besides the record release party in January, STYG will spend the next several months on the road. The band is currently touring with Bane. Then, they head to Europe in January and February with Bodysnatcher, Elwood Stray, and No Cure. They will hit North American with Paleface Swiss in the spring of next year. Tour dates and graphics are below.
Stick To Your Guns hold a mirror up to society’s ills without blurring its ugliness. In an attempt to unapologetically trumpet real change, the Southern California quintet never shies away from speaking or screaming unpopular truths from the purest place. Founded in 2003, Stick To Your Guns have always written and performed with a sense of urgency, their socially conscious message hitting as hard as their signature hybrid of hardcore, punk, and metal. Over the course of their career, they’ve amassed over 50 million total streams, performed on six continents, and shared stages with the likes of Parkway Drive, Architects, and Every Time I Die. Most recently, Alternative Press praised 2017’s True View as “the result of a long time spent on self-reflection and realization.” The band’s relentless pursuit of a better world and their critique of societal injustices continues to drive their music and message. In 2024, Stick To Your Guns signed with SharpTone Records, marking a new chapter in their storied career. This partnership promises to bring their potent blend of activism and music to an even broader audience, amplifying their call for change and social justice.