Features

A couple of hours before their absolutely amazing show at the Pukkelpop festival, we talked to Rise Against vocalist Tim McIlrath about the band’s past trajectory, their upcoming new album and being a political punk band in today’s climate.  

The band will be touring in the US October through November (click here for full list of dates) before winding down for the rest of the year.

PRT:  I’d like to go back to the beginning… you signed to Fat Wreck off a demo, released two albums with them, and then you went with a major label. From the outside looking in, it seems like everything just went smoothly and built up gradually.

Tim: Yeah, we kind of put our heads down and we worked really hard and we were lucky in the sense that nobody really meddled with what we were doing. Not a lot of bands experienced that, but we were able to kind of do what we do and nobody got in the way of it. And that turned into a slow build. I'm not sure if slow builds are something that labels want, but it certainly worked out for us. There was no master plan, but it just so happened that we could really maintain and operate our band the way we wanted.

PRT: Do you think it would still be possible today for a starting band to have the same trajectory?

Tim: I mean, every single year that we've been in this industry, the industry changed. We started our band before there was social media, before there were smartphones. We didn't have a cell phone and the internet was something that wasn't very functional yet. And then you put out a record and there would be MySpace. Then you put another record and there would be Facebook. Another record, and now it's Spotify. Every time we put a record out, the world changed. It has been a crazy and tumultuous 20 years to be a band. And the obstacles that bands face in today's world are unique to those bands. We came from a different time, so I don't think anybody would want me to advise them. Don't come for advice to a 45-year-old guy who started his band before he had a cell phone.

PRT: Have there been moments along the way where you were like, ‘what the fuck just happened’?

Tim: Yeah, there's still moments like that. Just last night. We played a big show at the Highfield Festival in Leipzig and when I woke up, I kept asking who was headlining and why are there so many people here? And then they kept telling me, ‘Well, you're headlining’. Yeah, but who's going on after us? And they were like ‘No, you're the headliner’. So even moments like last night are like, wow, people still care about what we do.

What's great for our band is that we still play small shows in some countries, big shows in other countries. We might headline a festival one night and then maybe come back and play a small club. So we get to not take the crowds for granted. It's not just every time we show up, there's a big crowd. And I feel like that keeps you humbled. It means you appreciate who's there. You know that they might not be there next time. And so you work hard to give them everything. If you come to our show, you'll get a hundred percent of us.

PRT: Your next album will be album number 10. Is that special to you as a band? Does it come with a bit more pressure than any of the other albums?

Tim: Ten is definitely a pretty serious number. A lot of my favorite bands never put out 10 records. It's definitely a benchmark for us. It was also a moment when we realized we have already made so many records that we're proud of and we've already created the sound that we like, that we felt we kind of had a little more permission to have free reign to do what we want to do here. There is still a lot of traditional Rise Against, but there are also some new sounds that people might be surprised by. But yes, 10 records is definitely a moment to reflect on. That's for sure.

PRT: Did you once again record it with Bill Stevenson?

Tim: This time we did something different. We went with a producer named Catherine Marks, who has worked with Manchester Orchestra and BoyGenius. We made it in LA. We're mixing it right now. We've actually been playing one of the new songs on this tour.

PRT: I wanted to ask about that. How do you come up with the perfect set list for a festival?

Tim: It's hard. We take a little bit of a different approach for a festival than say our own club show. We know that we have our fans here. But then you also have a lot of casual listeners who might not know who you are, and they're just kind of here to have a good time. And we try to give them the songs that they might recognize. Try to give them something that will entertain them, but which also may bring them to a show the next time we play Belgium.

PRT: But then also smuggle in a new one that no one has heard yet.

Tim: Exactly. Sneak in a new one as well.

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PRT: You've been a political punk band for over 20 years now. Does it ever feel discouraging, especially in today's climate?

Tim: Yeah, it can be for sure. It's discouraging when you see elements of growing right wing or conspiracy theory kind of troll culture enter the punk scene. You ask yourself where we went wrong. If this type of ideology is finding its way into our ranks, where did we let up? But it just means you have to try a little harder and communicate more. You can't take for granted that everybody is on the same team. You may feel discouraged talking about things that seem obvious until you see somebody go  astray. Then you realize you should have said these obvious things more, not less.

PRT: I was watching a video on YouTube from your show at Hurricane Fest two years ago, and it starts with the intro, which are these news reports about refugees. And then you see people smiling and clapping their hands because they are obviously excited to see you. Does that line up in your head?

Tim: Yeah, it's definitely an interesting juxtaposition. When I wrote it sitting at the end of my bed on a guitar, it was a serious pouring out of my feelings about what was happening in the world. And then to come and bring these songs to a festival where people are here to have a good time, they're just being entertained. It's your job to entertain. So yeah, it can be strange to have such that atmosphere with songs that can be so dark. But there was a famous anarchist who said, ’I don't want your revolution, if I can't dance to it.’ You know what I mean? I can't remember who said it, but this should be fun too. It doesn't need to be all sad and gloomy. We should realize that we fight for a better world so we can live and have fun in that world.

PRT: What is it that makes a show good and what is it that makes a show great?

Tim: A good show is a show where we play well and I'm happy with how I performed. Where I feel like I've done a good job with the songs, giving them to you in a way that meets your expectations. And then a great show is when the crowd gets into it and sort of let's loose, sings along and dances. When we get those two things to connect, then we all kind of just let loose and have a good time.

PRT: When you're playing in front of a huge crowd like tonight, is there a way to have a connection with the audience?

Tim: Yeah, you can. But it’s definitely the bigger the crowds, the harder it gets. Last night was especially hard. It had been a crazy day because there had been an accident on a Ferris wheel and so the whole mood was kind of deflated because people got hurt.

PRT: I read about that. That was at the Highfield Festival you mentioned?

Tim: Yeah, it was at that festival. And so it was like, how do we go onstage in this atmosphere? How do I tell people to have a good time? How do I have a good time when people have been hurt? We talked to the promoter and some fans about whether or not we should still play. It was horrible. But it was still a three-day festival where people came to enjoy music. And so it was like, let's not let this moment define this weekend or make what's already been a hard night worse for people because they don't get to see some of the music. They may have paid a lot of money or traveled very far. We were there, we were ready to play. So we decided to play and went on at 12:30.

PRT: Is there something that can still throw you off when you're playing a show or have you seen it all?

Tim: If we had been onstage when the Ferris wheel caught on fire, that would've definitely thrown me off. But other than that, I feel like I've seen a lot.

PRT: I imagine that when you're on tour, you are in your own bubble. But what is it like when you get home and you have to step out for groceries instead of stepping out in front of a crowd. Is there something like post-tour depression?

Tim: Yeah, there is for sure. It is a crazy transition because I'll go from a stage in front of 10,000 people to flying home the very next day and walking my dog around the neighborhood, doing the dishes. And so the touring becomes like a dreamlike state. ‘Did I imagine that?’  It definitely requires a bit of a transition. Being on the road is fun, but it can also be grinding. There is a routine. You wake up at a festival like this, you go to catering, you watch some other bands, play a show and then go to bed on a bus that drives all night. A lot of things are thought out for you. You're kind of on an autopilot. But then you go home and you get off that train. And then if you're home for too long, going on tour is a shock to the system. It’s two completely different worlds.

When I’m at home, I’m usually in bed by 12:30. But last night, I was just walking onto a stage in front of 10,000 people and have to be at the top of my game in the middle of the night. It's crazy. Especially as you get older.

PRT: Zac has Draculas and has played in Vanishing life. Joe has played with Dead Ending. You’ve never felt the urge to do anything outside of Rise Against?

Tim: No, I feel like Rise Against takes up enough of my time and energy, both mentally and physically. I don't feel like I need to go somewhere else. Plus there would be the obligations and the shows that come with starting something else. I love doing this and am not trying to add more work to my plate. I enjoy going home and I don't know if I would want to be doing more shows or more practices in between stuff. I'm not saying I won't ever, but yeah, I haven't felt the urge to yet.

PRT: If one of your kids ever comes up to you and says, ‘I'm dropping out of college to play in a punk rock band’. Would you tell them go for it?

Tim: Fuck. I would be scared as shit, that's for sure. But I would have to say ‘go for it’. It's what I did so I would have to tell them to follow their dreams.