Incendiary Pittsburgh punk rockers ANTI-FLAG will release their 13th album Lies They Tell Our Children on January 6 via Spinefarm. For this record, the band recruited several high profile and like-minded artists to feature on the songs. Ashrita Kumar of Pinkshift appears on “IMPERIALISM.”
“Justin Sane’s father Martin Geever grew up in post-colonial Southern Ireland. When he talks about the British occupation of his homeland and its lingering negative consequences, a phrase that often repeats is: ‘Humans are just out of the cave.’
A quick glance at imperialism the world over makes it hard to argue with this assertion, especially when one takes into account the brutality that accompanies imperialism and the ravages it leaves in its wake. Not to mention the frequency with which powerful elites justify subjugating and stealing from other people to grow their power and wealth.
This song documents the false narrative often put forward by those who wish to validate their imperialist ambitions. Special attention is given to the fact that occupiers play by a set of rules that they create, ignoring or moving the goalposts in terms of international law and human rights, including torture and murder. Special effort was also made to point out that occupiers have no interest in the needs or opinions of the occupied.
You can’t smash a city with bombs, kill and terrorize its population and burn it to the ground in order to save it. But those are the tactics and explanations of those with imperial ambitions. Actions speak louder than words, especially when there is a trail of bodies left in the wake of an occupier claiming that the violence they have perpetrated was carried out on the basis of high moral grounds.
Musically, there was something important to us about making sure the future of empathetic and benevolent punk rock was involved.
One of our favorite new bands Pinkshift are that future. Ashrita had the perfect voice and energy for this song and its intention and we’re grateful for her talent and friendship. The accompanying video created by INDECLINE stands as a document of the extremely violent, destructive and terror-filled nature of war and occupation, regardless of where it takes place.”
Anti-Flag are also returning to the road this fall. The band will embark on a headline run of the U.S. before heading to Canada.
Anti-Flag’s tour will kick off on September 16 in Burlington, Vermont and run through November 6 with an appearance at Punk Rock in the Park in Silverado, California. The band will also head to Quebec for a trek with Vulgaires Machins and Mudie in November.
The band has also announced ANTIfest dates in multiple cities in the U.S. and will be appearing at other major festivals through the fall. Get your tickets HERE.
9/16—Burlington, VT—Higher Ground (With Brendan Kelly, Mint Green)
9/17—Boston, MA—Brighton Music Hall—ANTIfest (Early Show) With Mint Green and Rebuilder*
9/17—Boston, MA—Brighton Music Hall—ANTIfest (Late Show) With Brendan Kelly*
9/18—Hamden, CT—Space Ballroom (With Brendan Kelly, Mint Green)
9/23—Birmingham, AL—Furnace Fest—Sloss Furnaces*
9/24—Charleston, SC—Music Farm (With Doll Skin, Teens in Trouble)
9/25—Louisville, KY@ Louder Than Life Festival—Highland Festival Grounds— KY Expo Center*
9/30—Washington, DC—Black Cat (With Suicide Machines, Catbite, Celebration Summer)
10/1—Pittsburgh, PA—Roxian Theatre—ANTIfest (With Four Year Strong, Microwave, Catbite, Dissidente)*
10/6—Boise, ID—The Shredder (With Bad Cop / Bad Cop, The Last Gang)
10/7—Seattle, WA—El Corazon (With Bad Cop / Bad Cop, The Last Gang)
10/8—Portland, OR—Crystal Ballroom—ANTIfest (With Good Riddance, Bad Cop/ Bad Cop, The Last Gang,The Macks)*
10/13—Richmond, VA—Canal Club
10/14—Virginia Beach, VA—Elevation 27
10/15—Sayreville, NJ —Starland Ballroom—ANTIfest (With Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Anti-Flag, Surfboart, The Black Tones, Catbite)*
10/29—Gainesville, FL—FEST 20—Bo Diddly Plaza*
10/30—Gainesville, FL—FEST 20—Bo Diddly Plaza*
11/4—Chicago, IL—The Metro—ANTIfest (With We Are The Union, Suicide Machines, Gully Boys, Blind Adam, and the Federal League)*
11/5—Detroit, MI—The Sanctuary (We Are The Union, Blind Adam and the Federal League)
11/6—Silverado, CA—Punk In The Park—Oak Canyon Park*
12/4—Phoenix, AZ—Crescent Ballroom (Doll Skin and With We Are The Union)
12/9—Buffalo, NY—Rec Room (With Cancer Bats and Plasmid)
12/10—Toronto, ON—Danforth Music Hall—ANTIfest (With Cancer Bats, Dilly Dally, Dead Tired, Indian Giver)*
*FESTIVAL DATE
WITH VULGAIRES MACHINS AND MUDIE:
11/12—Sherbrooke, QC—Granada Theater
11/13—Quebec City, QC—Imperial Bell
11/15—Joliette, QC—Salle Rolland-Brunelle
11/16—Ville de Saguenay, QC—Théâtre du Palais Municipal
11/18—Trois-Rivières, QC—Cabaret de l’Amphithéâtre Cogeco
11/19—Montreal, QC—MTELUS
