Album collaborators include: Shirley Manson ofGarbage, Melt Banana, Frank Iero of My Chemical Romance, Damian ofFucked Up, Jeremy ofTouché Amoré, Jordan ofLa Dispute, Dan Yemin ofPaint it Black, Pierce Jordan ofSoul Glo, Marissa ofScreaming Females, Chris #2 ofAnti-Flag, Geoff Rickly ofThursday, Nathan ofConverge, Bryan ofThou, Chip ofThe Body, Justin Pearson ofThe Locust, Anthony Green ofCirca Survive.
The HIRS Collective rely on an ethos of de-individualization. It is their strength, and their love. Through co-opting the anarchist phrase “No Gods. No cops. No masters,” as a ‘fuck you’ to the disingenuity of too much art and life of the capitalist world at large, the group introduced themselves as humanly as possible. Yes, there are individuals who make up this band/Collective/organization. Yes, the politics are in play, which a listener might likely expect from a group that comes from the leftist punk rock world that boasts community, acceptance, and radicalism. However, these are the foundationsthe HIRS Collective itself. As such, the Collective watched these community virtues and ideologies change through overuse and abuse and holds to them more tightly because of it.
“Those words still have meaning, but they have no weight. They have no power. Everyone has softened the blow of those words.”
After thrice releasing 100-song albums and countless splits and collaborative records,the HIRSCollectivehad already begun to realize their next frontier through 2020’s highly collaborativeFriends. Lovers. Favorites. Since then, the band has doubled-down on prioritizing the love of creation over the expansion of an artist’s public identity, and through the act of expansive collaboration,the HIRS Collective bringsWe’re Still Here, an immersive album featuring over 35 musicians and vocalists across 17 tracks. The name of the game is world expansion, cultivating true senses of community, and making sure that an idea can never die because it will have spread beyond the mind and powers of any single person. Once you work with the Collective, you are the Collective.
“We always want to go the pessimistic route and be like ‘We’re only here out of spite’ but really, we are spite. And we’re going to do the work and to be as happy as possible for as long as we can. We're here to say ‘Fuck you, what we want to do is go on tour with our friends and hang out with them. We want to have all the positive, wild experiences. We want to contribute to the actual community of people around us. We want to connect with everyone who comes into our world.”
Completely self-produced (like always) and completely self-managed (the Collective is also a driving force behindGet Better Records,who are handling the release)the HIRS Collective’sWe’re Still Hereis a statement of bravery and irascible resilience that will be one of their many entries into an already unmatched career whose influence has already started to affect young musicians the nation and world over.The HIRS Collectiveknows its strength and is meeting the realization of its power with measured intention.
“We don’t think we can destroy every single negative structure, but we can dismantle them within ourselves. And if we have the chance to destroy it, let’s fucking go. But we aren’t going to be given any power from anyone else and have to take it for ourselves.”
3/24 Fri - Washington, D.C. - Pie Shop
3/25 Sat - Harrisonburg, VA - Crayola House
3/26 Sun - Richmond, VA - Fallout
3/28 Tue - Winston-Salem, NC - Monstercade
3/29 Wed - Asheville, NC - The Odd
3/30 Thu - Athens, GA - Flicker Bar
3/31 Fri - Savannah, GA - Lodge of Sorrow
4/1 Sat - Orlando, FL - Will's Pub
4/2 Sun - Miami, FL - Gramps
4/3 Mon - Tampa, FL - Crowbar
4/4 Tue - Pensacola, FL - The Handlebar
4/5 Wed - Birmingham, AL - Spring Street Firehouse
4/6 Thu - Nashville, TN - DRKMTTR
4/7 Fri - Memphis, TN - The Hi Tone / 412 Room
4/8 Sat - New Orleans, LA - The Goat
4/9 Sun - Houston, TX
4/10 Mon - Dallas, TX - Three Links
4/11 Tue - Oklahoma City, OK - The Sanctuary
4/12 Wed - Tulsa, OK - Whittier Bar
4/14 Fri - Albuquerque, NM - Moonlight Lounge
4/15 Sat - Tempe, AZ - Yucca Tap Room
4/16 Sun - San Diego, CA - Til-Two Club
4/17 Mon - Los Angeles, CA - Slipper Clutch
4/18 Tue - Las Vegas, NV - The Griffin
4/19 Wed - Fresno, CA - Strummer's
4/20 Thu - Oakland, CA - Stork Club
4/21 Fri - Eureka, CA - Siren's Song Tavern
4/22 Sat - Eugene, OR - Sam Bond's Garage
4/23 Sun - Portland, OR - The High Water Mark
4/24 Mon - Seattle, WA - The Funhouse
4/25 Tue - Spokane, WA - The Big Dipper
4/26 Wed - Boise, ID - The Shredder
4/27 Thu - Salt Lake City, UT - The DLC at Quarters Arcade Bar
4/28 Fri - Denver, CO - Seventh Circle Music Collective
4/29 Sat - Kansas City, MO - Stray Cat Film Center
4/30 Sun - Des Moines, IA - Teehee's Comedy Club
5/1 Mon - Minneapolis, MN
5/2 Tue - Madison, WI - Communication
5/3 Wed - Milwaukee, WI - X-Ray Arcade
5/4 Thu - Chicago, IL - Reggies / Music Joint
5/5 Fri - Columbus, OH - Big Room Bar
5/6 Sat - Detroit, MI - Southwest VooDoo House
5/7 Sun - Cleveland, OH - No Class
5/8 Mon - Pittsburgh, PA - Preserving Underground
5/9 Tue - Rochester, NY - Bug Jar
5/10 Wed - Providence, RI - Mayday
5/11 Thu - Portland, ME - Sun Tiki Studios
5/12 Fri - Boston, MA - O'Briens
5/13 Sat - Brooklyn, NY - TV Eye
