Following a summer opening for the Gaslight Anthem and covering illuminati hotties’ “Knead” for the Hopeless Records anniversary comp, Pinkshift are back with the searing political anthem “ONE NATION.”
Just like the songs from their 2022 debut LP, Love Me Forever, the Baltimore punk group’s latest is bold and confrontational, especially in the days leading up to the U.S. political election. Convulsing with energy, “ONE NATION” is a barbed rager that stresses the importance of love, hope, and collective resistance while up against immense uncertainty.
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“It’s difficult to watch the suffering of Palestinians, the suffering of all those who are oppressed and disenfranchised by imperialism, alongside the repression of free speech and our right to protest in the U.S.,” vocalist Ashrita Kumar says. “Many of us watch, feeling powerless, while billions of our tax dollars are unconditionally promised to war and destruction abroad, as well as militarized police at home.
“They’re gunning for a war,” they continue. “And now we have to vote — because this is how we use our voice — and every option is not good enough, full of empty promises and celebrity appeal. Are we allowed to rejoice and rage with our community, speaking to the suffering we witness? Are we allowed to reject the crumbs that are being offered to us by the ruling elite, and demand they do something more with their power? The answer is that we must, and our generation knows it.”