No empty hype. No standing by. Stick to Your Guns swing hard against the quiet rot that tries to neutralize us. Their new full length, “Keep Planting Flowers”, arrives January 10 via SharpTone Records and it rejects grim resignation, aiming to transform frustration into action.
They’ve weathered two decades of shifting industry tides. Singer Jesse Barnett points to trust earned over years, forging a partnership with SharpTone that doesn’t feel like another transactional move. Instead, it’s rooted in genuine understanding. The band stands against hollow, opportunistic market logic, choosing to strengthen local ties rather than chase shallow mainstream acceptance.
Barnett’s voice threads these ideas through every track: stop treating creativity like a commodity, keep rejecting lies that all we can do is shrug and survive, and push forward as though it matters.
Our talk below digs deeper into these themes: from handling parallel bands and self-owned releases, through criticisms of industry greed, to chasing real connections and honest collaborations. We talk big ideas, the friction between true artistry and empty hustle, the meaning of forging ahead despite collapsing empires, how “we all die anyway” can be liberation, not resignation.
Explore the full interview for insights on balancing multiple projects, rejecting hollow competition, riding the DIY wave in a cluttered digital age, and the subtle beauty of planting flowers in the midst of wreckage.
Answers by Jesse Barnett (vocals)
First off, thanks for flooding us with new tunes featuring your vocals, Jesse! It’s been awesome hearing four new singles from Ways Away, which definitely balances out the aggression we’re used to from Stick To Your Guns—who also dropped four new singles, including two from the upcoming album. So, Jesse, how do you juggle your time and creative energy between these two projects when things are so crazy?
JB: I appreciate you taking the time to listen to either. Everyone worked very hard to make these songs so It’s good to know they are being heard. My parts on both albums were recorded with Beau Burchell at his studio in Temecula, so honestly that makes it very easy. Both projects are kept in one place.
As for the Ways Away album, we’ve been recording that for over a year. But it’s super exciting releasing both things close to each other. I’m feeling flooded with love from two different scenes and that’s a cool feeling.
Of course there’s crossover between the two bands, but not as much as you might think. There’s a lot of people who know Ways Away who have never heard STYG and of course vice versa. So It’s cool having insight into two different worlds.
Speaking of Ways Away, let’s get into that for a second. Can we expect a full new release in the coming months? What are your plans for this project, and how do you see it evolving next year?
JB: Ways Away will definitely have a new record next year but I can’t currently comment on dates right now. We’re enjoying the slow releasing singles and we will continue to do that for a couple more months before actually putting out the album.
I love doing that band. It’s so different from STYG and it just provides a different kind of outlet because I get to play guitar and sing rather than just sing.
We have some touring we’ll be doing throughout the next couple years and the idea is to just go and promote this record as much as we can.
We are self-releasing and it’s the first release for every member of this band that we fully own of all of our combined catalogs. That’s a big deal for us. But ultimately, I just have so much fun doing it and that’s really what counts in the end.
Your new singles with STYG kicked off a partnership with SharpTone Records. How did you guys connect, and what led to this collaboration at this point in your journey?
JB: We’re super pumped to be with Sharptone. STYG and Shawn Keith go way, way, WAY back. STYG has been a band for 21 years. I’ve been screwed just about every way you can be – it’s just the nature of the industry. But Shawn has always done right by us and it puts me personally at ease seeing a familiar face in control of such an important aspect of our band’s life. Putting out our record. I actually believe Shawn when he says he’s a fan of STYG and so far he’s just let me be who I am and I just have a lot of respect for Shawn and everyone at Sharptone.
You mentioned, “The old world is dying, the new one struggles to be born. Now is the time of monsters.” So, who or what do you see as these “monsters” in today’s world?
JB: This quote is attributed to Italian philosopher, Antonio Gramsci. Although there is debate on whether he said this or not, I think it doesn’t matter who gets the credit. I just think the quote is perfect.
All systems and empires fall. What seems like “human nature” to us today will be seen as absolute barbarity tomorrow. Capitalism is no different. Its brutality is very well documented. But what history shows is that when empires die or systems die, they don’t go peacefully. Fascism is the death rattle of capitalism. It has nowhere else to go. Nowhere left to exploit. No one left to rip off but itself.
Now we have a president who has appointed the wealthiest cabinet in the history of so called America. For me, the monsters are clear and they wont let us vote away our misery.
“Keep Planting Flowers” describes rejecting the nihilism that’s so rampant these days. Could you dive deeper into the lyrical themes of the album and the messages you’re trying to get across? What can we expect from the other tracks in terms of the message?
JB: Keep Planting Flowers is almost a reminder to myself. “Fuck it, who cares,” is one of the most enticing mindsets of all time, but, to me, this mindset is deadly and addicting.
I need a reminder to stay focused on the beauty of work and my life. No matter how bad things get, I can’t just give up. I just gotta keep pushing forward. Keep making things. Keep giving back. This is just who I am to my core. This is what being human is to me and it’s too precious to give up. Grow something beautiful in a world that needs it. But also be willing to protect what you’ve grown.
What experiences pushed you to take such a hopeful yet rebellious stance against the despair we often see in society?
JB: Track #1 on the album is called “We All Die Anyway”. This is a saying I hear often. “Hey man who gives a shit about that. We all just die anyway. Who cares??” I used to hate this, but now I love that saying. We all die anyway. It’s freeing so in the first song I take back. If we all die anyway then you might as well not be a coward.
Fight for something and build something real with real people and stop selling each other out. We might as well be brave. We all die anyway.
In “Severed Forever,” you make some bold statements about the music industry, saying there’s only one true artist for every 250 entrepreneurs, and some artists are just lackeys or errand boys. Could you elaborate on who you’re referring to and what motivated you to address this so directly? Who are the “devils” you’ve encountered along your journey?
JB: Our scene has undeniably become completely integrated with the mainstream music industry. This is a fact. Some people view this as raising the ceiling for bands behind them but I guess I argue that while the ceiling may “rise” it also leaves a door wide open for all sorts of opportunist bullshit to come flooding in and once it’s in, it’s hard to get it out.
This isn’t the first time that underground heavy music has come into the mainstream spotlight. It comes and goes in waves. In my 20 year career in metalcore and hardcore, I’ve seen it a couple times. From what I’ve seen, my ultimate conclusion is that while this flood of attention and ultimately, money, comes pouring into our scene, it rarely, if ever, benefits the collective good of our scene. It makes some people a lot of money and leaves most of the other bands, crew, merch sellers, independent promoters / venues in constant worry of our livelihoods all while the most money ever is flooding in.
I believe we should be a touch more critical when we hear people who are making tons of money tell us what’s “good for our scene”.
Even in the indie music scene today, many artists who’ve worked with independent labels are going back to a DIY model. But with so many social media platforms and communication channels, it seems tougher than ever to reach a wide audience. How do you guys view this? Where do you draw the line between doing it yourself and collaborating with others you clearly need?
JB: The current model and traditional ways of running a band are definitely coming to an end. I’m not a good person to ask what’s coming next but I’ve learned to make myself adaptable.
From a band standpoint you have to be adaptable if you want to survive. If you’re in a band and you’re lucky, you have a moment. We had ours and it’s made our band last 20 years. We aren’t the cool new band anymore, but we still have a lot to say and we still have the energy and that shit you need in your blood if you’re gonna do a band full time. I get why a lot of people don’t want to do it.
From a personal standpoint, I’m really only interested in collaboration. I love people. I love spending time with people. I like eating with people. I like doing fun stuff with people. Why would I take a different approach to my work? The “rational industry logic” would tell me to treat myself as a business. Fuck that. I would never view myself or those that I respect in such a disgusting light.
There is business involved in this life no doubt but if have your people, you’re real mother fucking people, in charge of that shit over some bozo with a finance degree you’ll be alright. Just work with people you like and make sure you work with people you actually trust, and remember you also gotta treat those people the same as well.
You’ve mentioned severing yourself from the “superficial competitive market mentality” in the industry. How do you maintain that stance while still navigating the realities of being a successful band today?
JB: I navigate this by taking more and more control over my music and my musical practice. By this, I mean taking control of when I want to write music. How I want to write music. What I want to write music about. Self release more music. Self book more shows. Play places for the sake of playing them even if you lose money.
This is what STYG LOVES to do. We love this life and the experiences it affords us. Prioritizing life should always be what the artist strivers for because it is life from which work is born. You need material. You only get that from living in a quality manner. This is becoming rapidly and overwhelmingly more important to me by the minute.
In an age overflowing with content and platforms, how do you stay authentic and connect meaningfully with your audience? What strategies do you use to cut through the noise?
JB: Don’t get me wrong, I believe there are exciting and artful and authentic and meaningful ways to roll out an album, but at this point in my life I don’t care how wide my net is. I just care that what I’m putting out is quality enough, at least by my own standards, to the audience we have built over all these years, and hope we are just making them happy.
Great, fair enough! So what advice would you give to up-and-coming artists trying to make their way through the complexities of today’s music industry?
JB: Just make music you love and be patient and take your time. Don’t treat every opportunity like it’s the last. They come and go. Just make sure you don’t miss out on life while you’re on your grind. If you’re not getting anything profound out of it, then get the fuck outta there.
You’ve been rocking out for 21 years now. Looking back, how do you feel about the years that have passed? How do you see your evolution as a band, and has the energy of creating new music changed for you over time? Is preparing for a new album still filled with the same excitement, or have changes in the industry and in yourselves shifted how you approach it?
JB: I’m 37 years old. That’s not very old. It’s way too young to have been in a band for 21 years, that’s for sure. I grew up in this band. Literally.
Every day from 16 to 37 has been this band.
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That’s an amazing feat. One I’m genuinely proud of and I have tremendous gratitude for every person who has been involved with this band. I will say that learning how to become a person while living life on the road was an incredibly unique experience that I’m not sure I can even explain.
I’ll just say that this band keeps me young. It keeps me traveling. It keeps me jumping around and trying new things and seeing new things. I’m not even sure this is answering your question but either way I’m just so grateful. For all of it. Good and bad. Easy and hard. It all made STYG who it is.
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With the new album dropping soon—we’re getting close to January 10th—how are you planning to spend the rest of the year? Is it time for rest, prep, or something else entirely?
JB: I have a lot going on for the rest of the year as I also run a book store in LA called All Power Books, so it really never ends for me. Haha.
But my fiancé and I have a little camper van that is our prized possession and we are driving up to the Pacific North West where she is from to spend some time for the holidays. That will be great. We do the drive up the California coast into the Oregon coast all the time and it’s truly one of my favorite things in the world. Immaculate vibrations.
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Looking at the lineup for your album release show on January 10th, it looks like it’s gonna be a wild party! How’s the California music scene these days in terms of venues and the creativity of local bands? From your perspective as a well-established band still rooted in the independent scene, how thriving is it?
JB: There’s so many bands right now that it’s overwhelming to me but there’s a lot of cool bands doing so much cool shit, so it’s all good. I just wish I could keep a better handle on it. Too many songs, so little time. It hurts my heart to think about.
Now as for the California scene: It’s unreal. It’s amazing. This isn’t just true now but it’s a historical fact. People who grew up and live in CA are lucky in terms of music. Unlucky in others, haha.
Are there any local bands or artists you’ve discovered recently that you think deserve more recognition? We’d love to hear your recommendations.
JB: I feel like there’s a ton of new bands coming out in Southern California but a few you may not have heard of yet are: Desmadre, Firestarter, No Way Out and Left Hand Path. Each of these Southern California bands are doing a lot to keep the spirit of hardcore alive.
From a sociological angle, how do you see California, your home state? In the media, especially abroad, we hear all sorts of stories about decline and people moving out. As locals, what’s your take on that? How do these social and cultural shifts influence your music and message?
JB: People are definitely leaving. Most of those people are people who aren’t originally from here and they moved here for any number of reasons.
But either way, yeah, things aren’t great. Everything is done in the name of maximum profit and we wonder why there’s not affordable housing or why everything is expensive and gas being six dollars a gallon and all sorts of unchecked, fucked up greed.
LA can seem like a pig trough filled with the most selfish fucked up losers your mind could possibly comprehend, but its also filled with an incredible number of people just trying to live humble lives and just trying to live their lives and get by. I feel for these people. I fight for these people.
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Oh, and while we’re talking about shows, how was the tour with Bane? Any standout moments or lessons from that experience?
JB: The Bane tour was the greatest way to end this year. It was just a slumber party with all your friends, having a god damn blast. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect situation.
I love Bane and they are the coolest and most chill people ever. They always treat us so well and it’s just refreshing to go out on tour with people who prioritize having fun.
Did any new places or people you met on that tour leave a lasting impression you’d like to share?
JB: It really just felt like a tour for the early 2000’s. Small clubs that were packed and everyone going nuts and then Bane and STYG would go get food after the show and stay at the same hotels – the whole thing was just so much fun. Oh and Desmadre are our motherfucking boys. We love them.
In March, you’ve got another tour coming up with a pretty awesome band—Paleface Swiss. We’ve been promoting them in our magazine since day one! How are you getting ready for this tour, and how do you think it’ll differ from the one you just wrapped up?
JB: We’re so excited to tour with them. I met them once and they were such nice guys. I’m really looking forward to a new crowd, we always appreciate when we have the opportunity to play our music for new faces. But yeah, overall I’m super excited for that one. We love Nasty too. It’s gonna be really fun to tour with them in the states.
With new material and different crowds, how do you adapt your live performances to keep them fresh and engaging?
JB: We just always try to play hard and bring as much energy as possible. Some people don’t like that but that’s just who we are and what we do. You might not like us but we’ll make sure you remember who we are. That’s been our mentality since day one.
By the way, can we look forward to a European tour anytime soon? Any plans you’d like to share with your fans over here?
JB: We have a European tour coming up in Jan/Feb. It’s the ‘Keep Planting Flowers’ record release tour with Bodysnatcher, Elwood Stray and No Cure. I CAN NOT WAIT!!! It’s going to be such a fun tour. Touring in the cold is always kind of hard on my voice but I will survive!
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Do you have any goals set for next year? I know we all make personal resolutions, but from the band’s perspective, are there specific aims you’re shooting for in 2024?
JB: We just want to tour a lot on this record and get it heard by as many people as we can. We hope people just enjoy what we bring to the table.
Lastly, is there anything you’d like to say directly to your fans as you embark on this new chapter with “Keep Planting Flowers”?
JB: I’m just so grateful to everyone who has stuck with us throughout all of these years. This band has been one the best things I have ever done with my life and every person who has listened to us or came to a show has made that possible.
Thank you all!
Thank you so much for your time. Appreciate it and all the best in your new chapter! Cheers from Warsaw!
JB: THANK YOU! Keep Planting Flowers is out Jan 10th! We really hope you enjoy it!
STICKO YOUR GUNS live dates:
Jan. 10, 2025 – Santa Ana, CA – Observatory
Jan. 13, 2025 – Hannover, Germany – Musikzentrum
Jan. 14, 2025 – Hanover, Germany – Capitol Hannover
Jan. 15, 2025 – Nuremberg, Germany – Löwensaal
Jan. 16, 2025 – Karlsruhe, Germany – Substage
Jan. 17, 2025 – Köln, Germany – Carlswerk Victoria
Jan. 18, 2025 – Münster, Germany – Skaters Palace
Jan. 19, 2025 – Utrecht, Netherlands – TivoliVredenburg
Jan. 21, 2025 – Genève, Switzerland – PTR
Jan. 22, 2025 – Bologna, Italy – Locomotiv Club
Jan. 23, 2025 – Wiesbaden, Germany – Schlachthof Wiesbaden
Jan. 24, 2025 – Luxembourg-city, Luxembourg – den Atelier
Jan. 25, 2025 – Paris, France – Trabendo
Jan. 26, 2025 – Bruxelles, Belgium – Ancienne Belgique
Jan. 28, 2025 – Villeurbanne, France – CCO La Rayonne
Jan. 29, 2025 – Barcelona, Spain – Razzmatazz 2
Jan. 30, 2025 – Madrid, Spain – Sala MON Live Madrid
Jan. 31, 2025 – Lisboa, Portugal – LAV – Lisboa Ao Vivo
Feb. 1, 2025 – Villava, Spain – Sala TOTEM Aretoa
Feb. 2, 2025 – Toulouse, France – La Cabane
Feb. 4, 2025 – Solothurn, Switzerland – Kulturfabrik Kofmehl
Feb. 5, 2025 – München, Germany – Backstage Werk
Feb. 6, 2025 – Budapest, Hungary – Dürer Kert
Feb. 7, 2025 – Vienna, Austria – Arena
Feb. 8, 2025 – Dresden, Germany – Reithalle Dresden
Feb. 9, 2025 – Berlin, Germany – Huxleys Neue Welt
Mar. 20, 2025 – Detroit, MI – Saint Andrew’s Hall
Mar. 21, 2025 – Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace
Mar. 22, 2025 – Montreal, QC – Club Soda
Mar. 23, 2025 – Worcester, MA – Palladium
Mar. 26, 2025 – Albany, NY – Empire Live
Mar. 27, 2025 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage
Mar. 28, 2025 – Mckees Rocks, PA – Roxian Theatre
Mar. 29, 2025 – Greensboro, NC – Hangar 1819
Mar. 30, 2025 – Tampa, FL – The Orpheum
Apr. 1, 2025 – Orlando, FL – The Abbey
Apr. 2, 2025 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade
Apr. 3, 2025 – Nashville, TN – Eastside Bowl
Apr. 4, 2025 – Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom
Apr. 5, 2025 – Sauget, IL – Pop’s NightClub & Concert Venue
Apr. 6, 2025 – Wichita, KS – WAVE
Apr. 8, 2025 – San Antonio, TX – Vibes Event Center
Apr. 9, 2025 – Dallas, TX – South Side Music Hall
Apr. 10, 2025 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theater
Apr. 11, 2025 – Mesa, AZ – The Nile Theater
Apr. 12, 2025 – Los Angeles, CA – The Regent Theater
Apr. 13, 2025 – Roseville, CA – Goldfield Trading Post Roseville
Apr. 15, 2025 – Portland, OR – Dante’s
Apr. 16, 2025 – Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theatre
Apr. 17, 2025 – Seattle, WA – El Corazon
Apr. 18, 2025 – Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory – Spokane
Apr. 19, 2025 – Salt Lake City, UT – Metro Music Hall
Apr. 20, 2025 – Denver, CO – Summit Music Hall
Apr. 22, 2025 – Omaha, NE – Waiting Room Lounge
Apr. 23, 2025 – Iowa City, IA – Wildwood Smokehouse & Saloon
Apr. 24, 2025 – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater
Apr. 25, 2025 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave / Eagles Club
Apr. 26, 2025 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall
Jun. 27, 2025 – Leipzig, Germany – Impericon Festival
Jun. 28, 2025 – Münster, Germany – Vainstream Festival
Jul. 10, 2025 – Cheltenham, United Kingdom – 2000 Trees 2025
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