Rise Against frontman Tim McIlrath breaks down the band’s latest collection, ‘Richochet’, out August 15 via Loma Vista Recordings.
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Rise Against have lived through five presidential administrations at this point. Much of what goes on in the White House has influenced the record the band was working on at the time, resulting in some of the most eloquently pummelling and furiously uniting songs to have pride and place in the modern punk sphere. And as they approached their landmark tenth album, the question was how they would make sense of this current regime, one that feels increasingly unstable and unpredictable as the days pass by. For vocalist Tim McIlrath, he thinks that, between the chaos and the frustration, there is space for lessons right now, above anything else.
“We’ve been a band through so many ebbs and flows of society over the last 25 years,” he explains. “We’ve been singing about change, about awareness, about justice and trying to find elements of those in humanity for 25 years. There’s a reason why we have decided that diversity is a good thing to be happening in our country. Why we decided that equity is something we should fight for. However, I think that the people who hate those things are fighting harder than those who support them. It’s in this moment that we need to double down, but also take a step and see what we can learn from all of this. We’re learning about the battles that led to the freedoms we enjoy today and how we can’t back away from those fights. That could be something as simple as civil rights or women’s rights. I feel like we, our band, our scene, our community, the young people in it, need a teachable moment like this right now.”
And in taking that step back, the band have produced ‘Ricochet’, a true outlier in their catalogue. A collection of songs that look at the state of things from a different angle, both sonically and subject-wise, and the result is as refreshing as it is rousing. It’s a summation of a time where, if the rulebook is being rewritten, then anything is possible.
To delve deeper into how they crafted this new string to their bow, Rock Sound caught up with the band and discovered how reconfiguring what Rise Against can be has always yielded huge rewards.
THE SOUND
One of the things about doing this for 25 years is that as long as the four people who make up Rise Against write a song, it will inevitably sound like Rise Against. Now, depending on where you stand and how you view this statement, it could be seen as a blessing or a curse. For Tim, it’s more a case of being self-aware of it and using it to their advantage. The first to admit how incredibly easy it is to settle into old habits, success in his eyes is now measured by emerging from a process with a collection of songs that don’t sound like any other collection the band has produced previously. And with ‘Ricochet’, they have certainly managed that.
“We’re not out to be this really adventurous experimental band,” Tim admits. “We’re going to do what we do, and that is be Rise Against. But creating a record where you hear one of these songs while listening through our discography, and it stands out from the others —that this is the ‘Ricochet’ era of Rise Against. That is the success for me. We could have created something where you couldn’t tell which record it was from, and that would be shit. This one has its own vibe, and that’s much harder to do than you think it is.
Several factors have enabled the band to create a vibe with a timeless quality. The first is that it was recorded live, a decision that allowed the band to benefit from what they know best: performing and crafting emotion as a unit. The second is working with Catherine Marks as producer, someone who was admittedly not familiar with any of the band’s previous work. Responsible for the production jobs on Boygenius’ GRAMMY-winning opus ‘the record’ and Frank Turner’s female-influenced folk project ‘No Man’s Land’, to name a couple of achievements, her influences and reference points for who and what Rise Against have been and want to be were completely different to anyone they have come into contact with before. And they absolutely loved that.
“We purposely chose someone who was largely unfamiliar with Rise Against and our legacy and was just hearing songs for the first time and very instinctively deciding what they should sound like,” Tim nods. “Catherine went to school to be an architect, which, when you first hear that, you think about what a crazy pivot she has made. But then you’re in the studio and making a song, and there is a lot in common between the two practices and a lot of lessons to be learnt because of that. The foundation is happening first, and you don’t get to the interior until last. You’re building up all these parts, which are eventually supposed to look after and house us. You’re putting a lot of shit behind the walls that is coming together and supporting all of this.”
That intensive work can be heard all over ‘Ricochet’, which, as intended, sounds like no other Rise Against record whilst still feeling overtly familiar. There’s an off-kilter approach to the output, making the gritty fuzz of ‘Prizefighter’, the booming anthemics of ‘Sink Like A Stone’ and the rollicking garage rock of ‘State Of Emergency’ feel more timeless in approach. Rather than the crisp and clear sound that has carried their message in stadiums and arenas in years before, these songs feel more at home spinning on a gramophone or the back of bars, taking the band back to the very beginning of their journey and the purpose of why they started all of this in the first place.
All of this occurs while you are still incredibly aware that you are listening to Rise Against. It’s in this want and need to push out of whatever comfort zone they may have built around themselves, that the band have realised that their tool belt still has room for more items. That is the beauty of making music; there is always something new to try. And the freedom that comes with utilising that is something else entirely.
“If you have a group of construction workers building something, and then there is another group building something else across the street, they are probably using a lot of the same tools,” Tim theorises. “Music isn’t like that, because you walk across the street and someone is building something with completely different things than you. Everyone is making songs differently. So, it’s exciting to get outside of that and see how other people make songs. It’s a new energy for us.
“The thing is that we’re no longer chasing, not that we ever were, what people want to hear or how popular a song will be or what will be a hit. At some point, you realise that you can’t predict that shit, and if you try and chase it, then it will have moved on by the time you get there. Instead, you should create the sound that you want, and people will find it if they want to. I just try to create something that will be a part of our story, and that still feels exciting.”
THE COLLABORATORS
There are always connections to be made within music, and by following them, you can create situations in which magic can sprout. One such example is the appearance of Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull on ‘Black Crown’, a gorgeously patient track, dripping in shoegaze-esque haziness and haunting intent. The two bands actually share a label, Loma Vista, which led them to discover how big fans they were of each other. Such a revelation also led the band to Catherine, who produced and mixed Manchester Orchestra’s stunning 2017 record ‘A Black Mile To The Surface’.
It also led Tim to travel to Georgia to hang out with Andy, where the pair instinctively started making music. ‘Black Crown’ was born out of that meeting, a dramatic, swirling, beautifully considered piece of alternative rock to say the least. But in hearing Andy’s voice circulating between the layers, a product of working alongside an individual who instinctively injects their soulful croon into whatever they are working on, Tim knew that they needed even more of him.
“When we finished it, I was like, ‘this guy’s voice has to be on the song, doesn’t it?’” Tim laughs. “There’s so much of his DNA in what is happening here that we knew we couldn’t leave out Andy’s addition to it, and he was excited to do it, too. The only struggle was that we wanted more Andy. He gave it back and said, ‘How about this?’ and we were like, ‘We need you to have more main character energy.’ It was one of those things where you wouldn’t have even known he was on this if we put out what he sent us originally. We’re asking you to come in and be a part of this. But now I think the result is really cool and adds a different element to it.”
It’s another example of what happens when you let your guard down and just let the universe guide your hand. It’s almost easier to just let ships pass in the night, but in making these moves, taking these chances, and pushing into uncharted waters, the possibilities become truly endless. And to have that feeling so deeply ingrained in your career is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly.
THE LYRICS
For Tim, Rise Against has always been a vehicle for the change that he believes is possible in this world, shining a light on injustice in hopes that it will encourage hope to start growing from beneath the cracks. And though it came in the form of fists raised, voices strained, and hearts filled in the past, ‘Ricochet’ feels like a different delivery method. Much of that comes from the shift in the landscape in which these songs are being written. The fact is that, for as long as Tim can remember, the word “revolution” has been used by those who wish for progress. However, its use by those who instead seek to drag us back to outdated belief systems is really riling him up.
“Revolution is Rise Against territory, and what we have been singing about for a long time,” Tim states. “To me, to repackage that word and use it for the gains that those on the far right and the right-wing want is the opposite of revolution. Revolution is change. It’s progress. The right are trying to bring us backwards where it’s ok to treat us like shit. To privilege some whilst disadvantaging others. I think that Rise Against’s job in this era is to hold the line and not to redefine that word.”
The lyrical turns found on ‘Ricochet’ may be a little more subtle and nuanced than they have been in the past, suited beautifully to the style of music they accompany, but their intent is no less bludgeoning. That there is no room for racism, sexism, homophobia or fascism in a world where revolution is occurring. That privilege exists in a way that provides for one and disadvantages the other. That there are barriers in place that will stop those in marginalised communities from doing what is second nature to those who have only ever hit green lights when driving towards their targets.
This is where the tongue-in-cheek vigour of ‘I Want It All’ comes from, the rallying realities of ‘Us Against The World’ find their voice and the need to question what we are being fed through our phones that bolsters ‘State Of Emergency’ find their home. These are musings on a world that has taken a step forward and three steps back, but emphasising that those steps forward are still possible.
Another aspect of trying to bring empathy, understanding, and togetherness back to the forefront of our fight is that those who still misunderstand what the mission statement is. Those who don’t understand who or what we are rising against, and just want to hear some raucous rock songs and not be told that everything is going to shit. For Tim, this is something he has seen in practice since high school, when he went to see Rage Against the Machine and was surprised to see that the jocks had also found their way to the show, clearly unaware of what the band was about. With music being more readily available than ever before, the chance that someone trying to use revolution the wrong way will find their way here is high. However, by continuing not to water down their desire for a better tomorrow, Tim feels as though they are still offering an opportunity to see the world in a better light.
“Sometimes people are just attracted to a rebellious spirit when they don’t really know what they are rebelling against. I like to think of Rise Against as a sugar-coated bitter pill in that way. Hopefully, we get you to walk into Brixton Academy with some good hooks and choruses, and there’s going to be dancing and singing along. That’s the show. Then the sugar-coating starts to wear off, I hope that people see then that this is the shit that we are singing about. Here are the things that fuel our identity. If there is something in the DNA of this band that you identity with, this is what has inspired it. This is what it means. This is about fighting for a better and more equal world and society. It’s about fighting for environmental and racial justice. It’s about fighting for queer and trans people. It’s about fighting.”
It may seem like the light is further away than it has ever been for many at this point, but all Tim hopes is that if Rise Against continue to show that they are fighting, then there is hope. That comes from telling stories, the oldest form of connection that we have. An ancient practice that is more powerful than money. That will still be here long after those who wish to divide us are gone for good. So be it ‘Hero of War’ or ‘Soldier’, ‘Help Is On The Way’ or ‘Damage Is Done’, ‘Give It All’ or ‘Nod’, the old and the new will be here for you when you need them most.
“I feel like the only way that people have reached me and the only way that I have reached others is by telling a story,” Tim reiterates. “Whether you’re a painter, a singer, or a writer, these are all stories that you are telling. And all you can hope is that those stories will seep in and do what you hope they will. It’s how fans have found us. This is how I have always felt, and I have now found music that poses all the same questions I am asking. They come to our shows to feel less alone, to feel inspired, to hear something from someone who is like them.”
THE TITLE
Though it may feel like we are all walking on different paths, the human experience is always built on the fact that we are doing this together for the first time. We are all formed from the same flesh and blood; the instincts we have are felt on a global scale, and every action will always have a reaction. That’s where the idea of umbrellaing this record with the word ‘Ricochet’ came from. That when you put something out into the world, it will bounce around in whatever way it wishes.
For Tim, this can boil down to something as simple as misinformation or as broad and hurtful as discrimination. Both are rampant at the moment, but both have the power to travel far and wide, hitting as many surfaces, or subjects, as it pleases, and maybe even boomerang its way back to you. To him, it is about being mindful of how powerful we truly are as individuals, recognising that our words and actions carry weight, and that if we genuinely want to see positive change in the world, we must harness this power for good.
“To ricochet is to feel the unpredictable consequences of our actions,” he states. “It was designed to remind us that we are all in this together, and everything that we do is going to have a reaction. It’s going to bounce around the room. It could hit something that it never intended to hit. It’s a chain reaction of information and confrontation, and how that can be relayed in music is something that I think a lot about. Hopefully, it means that we are taking care of ourselves and thinking about our actions before we go all in and do them. That’s why I like the word. It’s a way to remind us that we are all connected, and that we should be careful because of that.”
THE FUTURE
The truth is that the work is never truly done. These songs are going to hit the streets, they will be sung in venues across the world, and Rise Against will eventually look back on them as a unique addition to their inspirational story, but the weight that they carry will never fade. Because we are not free until everyone is free. We are not done fighting until there is no one left to fight for. And for Tim, he hopes that, inspired by these songs or not, those with this view on what the world could be have the courage to speak up for it that little bit more. Because if we can’t be heard, how do we know that we aren’t the only ones feeling this way?
“I feel like the people who have the shittiest vision for the world also seem to have the loudest voices,” Tim closes. “Their view of things sucks, but they have a lot to say and a lot of volume right now. However, I believe that many people have a better and more positive vision for the world. I just think that their voices aren’t being heard.”
“Our job as artists is to encourage those voices. My hope is that they are out there. They just need to get louder.”