Photo: (Amnesty International USA Interscope UM)
When it comes to head banging for social justice, there’s one band that rises above, or rather against, the rest. Frontman Tim McIlrath, guitarist Zach Blair, bassist Joe Principe and drummer Brandon Barnes of Rise Against have a rep for taking on tough issues in their hard-hitting music and infusing their powerful lyrics with political statements.
Which is why we’re proud to premiere their latest video for “The Ballad of Hollis Brown,” a cranked up Bob Dylan cover from the charity compilation album Chimes of Freedom -- which features 75 newly recorded Dylan tracks by over 80 artists (like Miley Cyrus) -- honoring Amnesty International’s 50 years of life-saving human rights work.
"As a band that has been plugged in to social justice since our inception, people like Amnesty International were always in our peripheral. It's kind of like they were the rock stars and we were the ones trying to get noticed," says Tim.
Unsurprisingly, the Chicago crew decided to apply their signature punk intensity to one of Dylan’s most heart-wrenching and tragic songs. It tells the story of a Dustbowl-era farmer in South Dakota who’s desperate to make ends meet during hard economic times:
“You looked for work and money,
And you walked a rugged mile,
Your children are so hungry,
That they don't know how to smile.”
McIlrath’s searing vocals give a modern-day voice to this tale of hardship -- but the video is what truly delivers a harsh reality check by revealing that Hollis' troubles ain't over. Prepare yourself for a visual gut punch that actually makes you stop texting and truly pay attention:
The stark documentary-style footage was appropriately shot in South Dakota, where crippling poverty -- it's home to 3 of the poorest counties in the country -- continues to plague the countryside. Instead of drought and the Great Depression, now it’s unsustainable industrial agriculture (we need to go back to the start) and the current financial recession that’s devastating farming communities like these all over the States.
The band uses gritty close-ups of struggling farmers, moving montages of their threatened livelihoods, and startling statistics to send out a S.O.S. on behalf of rural America.
When the hard working men and women who once fed our nation can’t feed themselves, something is seriously effed up -- and Rise is raising their voice to make sure we all know about it. Check out more from passionate lead singer Tim McIlrath below -- and join him by taking action for Amnesty International and America’s farmers below!
Q&A with Tim McIlrath of Rise Against
How did you get involved with Amnesty International and what drew you to the cause?
As a band that has been plugged in to social justice since our inception, people like Amnesty International were always in our peripheral. It's kind of like they were the rock stars and we were the ones trying to get noticed. They were always on our radar, and finally our band snowballed into something that ended up on theirs. We were finally in a position to facilitate their message.
It's so hard to pick one Dylan song to cover! What made you guys decide on "Ballad of Hollis Brown."
Choosing Hollis Brown was not an easy decision. I'm sure as any band on this comp would tell you, there's so many factors when covering a Dylan song. It's like treading on sacred land, you tread lightly and you approach it with a certain kind of reverence. I was attracted to the cadence and the ominous melody of the song first, and then I was sold when I peeled back the layers of the lyrics. I knew we could put our signature on this song in a new way and bring it into 2012 by exploring it's contemporary relevance. It serendipitously fit into the narrative of our new record "Endgame," which is about the downward spiral of civilization. It's something that would have fit into that record like a puzzle piece.
The "Ballad of Hollis Brown" music video is set in South Dakota. Why did you decide on this location and focus on farmers? Because of the lyrics mentioning the state and farms?
Hollis Brown was a farmer from South Dakota, so choosing the location was kind of a no-brainer. The song is about a Dust Bowl era farmer, but we wanted to show the challenges that there are still "Hollis Brown's" out there by going to the origin of the songs inspiration.
Election year is here. Is there one issue or action you want your fans to be aware of? Such as voter suppression, which you mentioned on your site.
Voter suppression is not only a serious violation of voter rights and civil rights in America, but it is also a perfect indicator of two different truths: 1) the levels the right-wing will stoop to rig an election and 2) the fact that even conservatives know that they are losing the battle as Americans become more politically conscious. They can't win fighting fair and they know it, or they wouldn't be trying these tricks.
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Download Chimes of Freedom
Listen to Rise Against, Miley, Ke$ha and other artists cover Bob Dylan songs. The album honors Amnesty International's 50th Anniversary.
