THE IRON ROSES, your favorite provocative punk rockers with a clear mission, are back with a new single that will get the blood coursing through your veins, your fist pumping in the air, and your brain thinking about how to be the change you want to see in the world!
Today, the band, previously lauded by SPIN for being "more ambitious both musically and thematically than most artists choose" and by New Noise as "a great fucking listen," share the new single "Class War Cheer Squad."
Listen below.
The band, now fully independent, will release the 3-song AGITPOP EP on September 11. Pre-order/pre-save it here. [[ADD LINK]]
Each single from the EP will launch with an exclusive, limited-to-25-pieces t-shirt, while a portion of the profits from each of these shirts will be donated to a charitable organization
The "Class War Cheer Squad" donations will be made to Border Kindness.
The Iron Roses are touring through the summer — headlining Europe and performing at festivals and supporting Bad Cop Bad Cop in North America. All dates are below.
"'Class War Cheer Squad' is easily the most lyrically direct song in our collection so far," explains Nat Gray. "To the point and going for the throat is the mantra here: '1,2,3,4, I declare a class war!' You don't get much more to the point than that, folks. We are all being failed by systems which demand our submission and praise while giving nothing in return, and where has it gotten us? The rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and the middle class is effectively eliminated. The ruling class whine and moan about the pittance going into social service programs, but never ask where the next several billion in bomb money will come from. We are tired of the lies, the manipulation, and the scapegoating of marginalized communities in order to fear-monger people into voting against their best interests."
Gray finishes, "As punk artists, humans, and musicians, we find it our duty to speak up when many can't (or won't), because isn't that what this platform was always meant for? Just 3-4 simple chords and an axe to grind with power, authority, and oppression. Enjoy!"
About the EP, the band offered the following update.
"We began writing new music in the Winter of 2024, high from an incredible year of growth as a band, and just before the political climate became, once again, dangerously oppressive and hateful," shares Becky Fontaine. "Initially, the songs flowed out as they usually do for us: Anthems of hope in a world that feels hopeless. Songs of joyful resistance. Energetic, uplifting, sociopolitically-driven pieces that served to remind us all that there is a piece of the human experience that cannot be commodified."
Fontaine continues, "But when mid-January 2025 rolled around, we, like so many within our community, were absolutely devastated at the reckless power that took the throne. Writing became our only reprieve from doom-scrolling, grief, and anxiety. There were literal days where Nat or myself couldn't get off the couch, and days when songs were so frantically bursting out of us, one of us might be in tears and the other might be three steps from panic as we fought to tell the stories that needed to be told in the voices that needed to be heard. It quickly became apparent that this new collection of songs was being very strongly informed by the landscape we were in."
Fontaine further pulls back the curtain, "Every single day another horrific order was being announced. Every single day an even more bold attack against human rights, opportunity, equity and autonomy. What shaped itself from our work over those several months were songs that had a bit more frustration and defiance weaved into them, while still holding on to that tangible joy and playfulness that is The Iron Roses Way. It felt really good to be able to take that dichotomy and propel it even further. We truly challenged each other this time around, pushing and pulling each other through the painful parts of songwriting, fine tuning how to bring out the best of what two passionate frontwomen and four of the most talented musicians have to offer."
In conclusion, Fontaine states, "As the world did little to heal itself, and with the worst of humanity becoming somehow even more overt, we decided there was no reason to wait to bring some of these songs to life. We had already recorded them in Pedro's studio, and really needed to release these three songs in this huge moment of history as a reminder that it is OK to be angry and scared and frustrated. You can still fight when you are scared. It feels powerful to take up our protest into our own hands, and we hope that these songs provide the cheerleading people need to get back up, even when bloody and bruised, and show the enemy you won't be erased so easily."
THE IRON ROSES ON TOUR:
EUROPEAN HEADLINE DATES + FESTIVALS:
7/25 — Bausendorf, DE — Riez Open Air
7/26 — Goldenstett, DE — Afdreit Un Buten
7/27 — Essen, DE — Don't Panic
7/29 — Schweinfurt, DE — Stattbahnhof
7/30 — Erfurt, DE — VEB Kultur
7/31 — Hamburg, DE -Hafenklang
8/1 — Duffel, BE — Brakrock
8/2 — Hannover, DE — Fährmannsfest
8/3 — Cologne, DE — Helios37
8/5 — Tolmin, SI — Punk Rock Holiday
8/8 — Böbing, DE — Böbing Open Air
8/9 — Vilmar, DE — Tells Bells
SUPPORTING BAD COP BAD COP:
9/23 — Hamtramck, MI — Sanctuary Detroit
9/24 — Rochester, NY — Bug Jar
9/25 — Somerville, MA — Warehouse XI
9/26 — Brooklyn, NY — The Woodshop
9/27 — Baltimore, MD — Metro Baltimore
9/28 — Norfolk, VA — The Taphouse Grill
9/30 — Millersville, PA — Phantom Power
10/1 — Pittsburgh, PA — Bottlerocket Social Hall
10/2 — Lakewood, OH — Mahalls
10/3 — Milwaukee, WI — Cactus Club
10/4 — TBA
10/5 — Chicago, IL — Cobra Lounge
THE IRON ROSES ARE:
Nat Gray (She/They) — Vocals
Becky Fontaine (She/Her) — Vocals
Pedro Aida (He/Him) — Guitar + Backing Vocals
Colin Clive (He/Him) — Guitar
Michael Espinosa (He/Him) — Bass + Backing Vocals
Devon Hunt (He/Him) — Drums
