Hardcore quintet Stick To Your Guns guide us through their new album ‘Keep Planting Flowers’, out January 10 via SharpTone Records.
WE ALL DIE ANYWAY
“This song was a tough one to figure out musically. We kept trying to force it into a generic verse, chorus, verse, chorus structure but every time the second verse came around it just fell flat. We decided to do what we do best and make it short and simple. No energy lost. Lyrically, this song is about the dedication.”
SPINELESS
“We wrote all the drum beats and structure for the song first, just focusing on the energy. It was the first time we wrote that way. Then we had to dig through piles of riffs we had laying around to figure it out like a puzzle. During COVID, Isaac from Knocked Loose and Chris decided to write some stuff together for fun.”
“The rules were one person writes a riff and the other person has to write the next part, then pass it back. Issac had sent Chris a riff that really stuck out. It got tweaked a bit and tuned differently and that is where the opening riff came from. It set the tone of the whole song and made it easy to have everything come together.”
PERMANENT DARK
“Jesse says this song was about the day he found the light. The day he realised that everything he has, and has accomplished, could not have been made possible without the love, support, guidance and even discouragement of countless others.
“We have been made to believe that each one of our individual lives are THE MOST important thing. A society that teaches everyone that they are the main character is doomed to implode. It keeps us in a state of permanent darkness. Once you realise your greater connection to everything around you – past, present and future – you find purpose, and a reason to fight.”
INVISIBLE RAIN
“Some songs are difficult and some come easier than others. We got together to write and tried to not overthink and just focus on what felt good. This one is classic STYG. It’s what comes natural for us. The hardest part is coming up with twists and turns that make it feel fresh but true to what we do.”
SEVERED FOREVER
“Beau Burchell, our producer, really helped this song out. It originally was a little all over the place and had what we kept calling a “surf vibe”. We couldn’t completely pinpoint what needed to be changed but Beau instantly knew.”
“He had us change the chorus to what was originally the pre-chorus, write a new lead for the chorus and mess with some tempos. The song felt pretty good but once Jesse laid vocals down it easily became one of our favorites on the album. Very excited to play this one live.”
MORE THAN A WITNESS
“The most shocking thing about this song is that it was written in one take. That has never happened in a writing session before so it was a really cool experience. Lyrically, this song is a call to those who are tired of just watching the world spiral into hell. We can only hope that this song and this record will activate people to get engaged in some kind of community.”
KEEP PLANTING FLOWERS
“We hope this song can inspire people to keep planting flowers. No matter how bad life gets. Just get up. Just keep creating. Keep thinking. Keep feeling. Just try to connect with others and be sure to check-in with people and don’t wait to tell your friends and family how much you love them or even how much they hurt you. Sometimes it’s the hard conversations that bring us closer. Life is a gift but its only caveat is that it hurts like fuck. People can help carry that hurt. And turn that pain into love.”
EATS ME UP
“This song is actually from the ‘Disobedient’ writing sessions in 2014 but we never completed it. When we would show friends or producers over the years they all commented on how much they loved the chorus and how we needed to figure out a way to finish the song, so we finally decided to take one more shot at it. It was really fun to re-work it. Very stoked we don’t ever have to work on it again!”
WHO NEEDS WHO
“This one is pretty straightforward. With the working-class striking globally, they are reminding every boss and CEO exactly who makes their luxury. Unionise your work place. Fight for yours. If we spend a majority of life at work then we should have a democracy in the workplace.
“You have a right to safety and a liveable wage at your workplace. Doesn’t matter what the job is. Talk to your coworkers today and fuckin link up and roll deep. Scott Vogel agrees and thats why he went ape shit on this song. Shout out Terror.”
H84U
“This has a very early 2000’s vibe. Reminds us of sweaty VFW halls and kids screaming every word. It’s hardcore. It’s emotional and it was the perfect song to have Connie from SeeYouSpaceCowboy sing on. As soon as it was done it just felt like the obvious closer for the record. It sounds like even though you’re exhausted, you’re still somehow hopeful.”
