Rise Against have shared a stripped-down, reimagined version of their new single, “Nowhere Generation”. Now known as “Nowhere Generation (Ghost Note Symphonies)”, the new take remains true to its punk spirit and blistering message. You can check out the new version of the song out below.
The original version of “Nowhere Generation,” has been exploding at radio and global streaming: the track is knocking on Rock Radio’s Top 15 door at No.16, closing in on Alternative’s Top 20 at No. 22, its total airplay continues to multiply exponentially, and has amassed more than 3.5 million global streams, and counting.
“Nowhere Generation (Ghost Note Symphonies” was produced by Bill Stevenson, Andrew Berlin, and Chris Beeble, and recorded in August 2020 at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, CO, Rise Against – Tim McIlrath/ vocals, rhythm, guitar, Joe Principe/bass, Brandon Barnes/drums, and Zach Blair/guitar – was joined by musicians on violin, viola, cello, upright bass, and piano, instruments one wouldn’t expect on a Rise Against album, but that offer a fresh dynamic to the song.
This is not the first time Rise Against has transformed one of its fiery punk rock songs into a beautifully orchestrated acoustic presentation. Twenty-eighteen saw the release of Ghost Note Symphonies, Vol 1, a creative endeavor where the band reimagined their music in a way no one expected. The stripped-down orchestration was raw and revealing lyrically while powerful and compelling musically.
Said vocalist/lyricist McIlrath, “Any good song should be able to be stripped down to an acoustic guitar and played around a campfire. “Nowhere Generation” struck us as one of those songs and we returned to the Blasting Room last year after finishing the album to track an acoustic version that we included as the B-side of a limited edition seven inch. To make it happen, we called up our Ghost Note string players and changed the feel. We gave it ‘The Ghost Note Symphonies’ unplugged treatment to re-create the same song but with a completely different vibe.”
Over the past 20 years, Rise Against’s music has been shaped by the band members’ activism and sense of social justice, elements that are front and center in the upcoming new album, Nowhere Generation, set for a June 4 release through Loma Vista Recordings.
In celebration of the release of Rise Against’s forthcoming album, Nowhere Generation, Rough Trade will host a special interactive Q&A and acoustic performance by Tim McIlrath on Wednesday, 9 June @ 7pm BST. The event is for UK residents only and will be hosted via Zoom.
Nowhere Generation is out on 4 June and can be pre-ordered here.
