This week I got to sit down with Rise Against frontman Tim McIlrath, in preparation for their upcoming pre-Halloween gig at The National on the 30th of this month.
With 25 years under their belt, Rise Against has evolved from underground punk roots into a politically charged band known for their social activism and powerful lyrics. In our conversation, McIlrath reflects on his journey from a 15-year-old guitarist to a leading voice in punk rock, the band’s creative process, and their enduring connection with fans, both new and old.
You got your first guitar when you’re 15 and started learning like Minor Threat covers and stuff like that. As you’ve gotten older, what do you think the relationship looks like with that young idealistic kid that was just playing his favorite songs?
That’s an interesting question. I never imagined I would be doing the same thing today as I did then. I wasn’t very careerist about it, you know, it was just something I picked up.
It would be interesting to go back and see that I was radically reshaping my life, you know, back then. When you compare me to that kid, doing what I am now is the same as what I was obsessed with back then. I never thought in my wildest dreams that this would happen.
I didn’t know I was obsessed with it, you know what I mean, but looking back, it was all I thought about. I never thought it could be a reality that I could ever do this—it was almost like a guilty obsession.
I was always supposed to be worried about school or what I was doing with my life, but looking back, it’s like “oh no, you were so focused on this of course it was what you were going to do.” Even my own self was dismissing it as a hobby.
Would you say now you are the same way, in that you ride a wave rather than planning out themes or ideas?
That has cycled. In our earlier stuff, I definitely had a plan or a picture I wanted to paint with all the songs. That was kind of the identity of Rise Against that came together.
Later, going into the later records that we have done and are doing, I am kind of back to just letting it happen—not overthinking it, letting it come to you rather than stressing about an arc or theme. In my experience, that theme reveals itself through the work.
That is where it comes most organically, rather than creating a theme and fitting everything into this box and to these rules. Now I do the work and look at it from a thousand yards away, and see the themes that had been created.
It reveals what has been working in the back of your head.
Yeah exactly!
How would you name the current era of Rise Against?
That’s a good question. This current era is a bit of a renaissance for Rise Against. We’ve already done 9 records, played for 25 years, checked a lot of boxes, and accomplished a lot of things we wanted to accomplish.
Bands that get older have a couple of options. They can sort of take their ball and go home and say “that was cool,” they can switch over to autopilot—still doing it but maybe it’s not their main focus—or they can be the kind that digs in and stays hungry. I think Rise Against is digging in.
Obviously, this is the oldest version of Rise Against that has existed as of today. I think we’re better now. We got off stage last night in Boston and I thought, “that was one of our best shows,” and I never thought that would be happening in our mid-40s. You think of musicians like athletes, but in some ways, I think it gets better later. You find new reasons to get on stage and see new faces for the first time.
We are this band that started 25 years ago, but some 14-year-old is walking into our show for the first time. You remind yourself to take it seriously. It may not be your first show, but it might be this kid’s. I think we are really digging in, and it is a renaissance for Rise Against.
We are like the little engine that could. You might not see us on the cover of Rolling Stone or in TMZ, but you’ll know us more from our music than our faces, and that has always been how we maintain this thing.
As a very outspoken political group, do you ever feel burnout? How do you deal with the hard emotions of being politically aware?
We started out, and punk rock and politics were very synonymous. It was something that was very close to my heart as the lyricist. If you would accuse us of anything back then, it was preaching to the converted. It wasn’t that radical to be the guy from Rise Against saying, “fuck the war in Iraq.”
Now the world has changed, and our fans are far less homogeneous politically than when we started, and the things I say can be far more divisive. Doesn’t mean I don’t say them. I realize we live in a world where everyone is getting so much junk information, and people think they can define you based on someone else’s definition, so I feel like I am always trying to assert who we are and let people know we don’t want to be in a box.
Navigating this band politically in such a divisive era is a little trickier, but it is also more important than ever. We have a direct connection to our fan base, whatever size it is, and I want to be part of the solution and not the problem. I feel a responsibility to steer our fans in the right direction—at the very least, not steer them in the wrong direction.
We have had songs be misinterpreted, or someone I disagree with saying a song is about something else entirely. We want to be a positive influence in young people’s lives. All I can give you is our songs, and if it connects with you, odds are we have something in common, but I am also competing with every single major media whatever. So, all I can really do is take it one day at a time, talk about who we are, and hope that resonates with somebody.
What would you say to a 15 year old that picks up a guitar for the first time and is learning covers in their bedroom in 2024?
You know, I feel like when we are writing a song, we like to use the term “wood shed.” We are out in the wood shed, chopping away and putting in the work. If you are picking up an instrument, it’s all about spending time with it, alone, playing it to death.
You have to get over the humps, find your voice, and not get too distracted by anything else around you. I can only speak for my own experiences, but that’s what I did. I would get home from school, go into the basement, and play real loud. I wasn’t good, and I wasn’t good for a while.
I would listen to stuff on the radio, stuff I liked, but in the end, I found my own voice without realizing it. I think a lot of musicians can relate to that—just spending a lot of time with your instrument.
It is important not to get frustrated if it doesn’t come right away. There’ll be a lot of false starts and failure. It’s a tricky creative world to navigate, but if it’s all you think about, don’t give up. If you are going to sleep thinking about it and waking up thinking about it, don’t give up.
Do you have any standout memories playing in Richmond?
I grew up in Chicago, but I would always hear about Richmond from bands like Avail. It was a bit of a mythical place with bands like GWAR and Strike Anywhere.
It was always this far-off place, off the beaten path, that wasn’t on every tour cycle, but so much cool music that impacted the planet came out of there, especially in the punk world. I always held it in high esteem.
Rise Against will be headlining The National on October 30th, let’s keep RVA in high esteem and make it a great show!
Main photo by Alexa Vicious
