News

Bad Religion have just released a radically reimagined version of their 1990 humanist anthem “Faith Alone.” The re-recording uses an uncharacteristic orchestral arrangement to further accentuate the song’s remarkably relevant lyrics. It is a philosophy Bad Religion have extolled since their very formation and has inspired songs like “The Answer,” “Atheist Peace,” and “American Jesus” that rail against religious hypocrisy and anti-intellectualism.

While the original Faith Alone was delivered as a propulsive guitar fueled punk track on the band's album Against The Grain, the new interpretation begins with singer and co-songwriter Greg Graffin’s plaintive vocals accompanied on acoustic piano, before building to an unabashedly symphonic crescendo complete with sophisticated string arrangement. The result is a startling sonic departure from the band’s patented melodic punk sound and only serves to emphasize the song’s emotional power and intensely relevant message that, in times like these, “faith alone won't sustain us anymore.”

As the band's singer and co-songwriter Greg Graffin explains, “I have al-ways written songs on piano. Some of our earliest songs were written on my mom’s piano. I’ve been home a lot and so I started recording a bunch of our songs that way. Brett (Gurewitz) thought ‘Faith Alone’ was particularly relevant for this moment. For me, it exemplifies what’s special about the band, which is that we write songs that go to the spiritual and intellectual aspects of human existence.”

The recording of the song was done remotely. Graffin's initial vocal and piano tracks augmented by the band’s co-songwriter Brett Gurewitz who added additional instrumentation including guitar. The strings were added by Stevie Blacke (Beck, Lady Gaga, Garbage) and the drums played by Bad Religion drummer Jamie Miller while producer Carlos de la Garza added additional production and a mix.

Gurewitz explains, “I think the message of ‘Faith Alone’ really resonates with everything that’s happening right now. Racial injustice, Trump, the COVID pandemic, the rejection of science, none of these things can be solved by burying our heads in the sand. We’ve always believed problems can be solved through reason and action, not faith and prayer. It’s what we’ve been writing about since the band started.”

In other news, the band will release their autobiography, DO WHAT YOU WANT: The Story of Bad Religion, on August 18. It reveals the ups and downs of the band’s 40-year career, from their beginnings as teenagers experimenting in a San Fernando Valley garage dubbed “The Hell Hole” to headlining major music festivals around the world. The book predominantly features the four principal voices of Bad Religion in a hybrid oral history/narrative format: Greg Graffin, Brett Gurewitz, Jay Bentley, and Brian Baker. It also includes rare photos and never-before-seen material from their archives.