Featuring DE’WAYNE, Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine, Marcia Richards of the Skints and others, both volumes of “A Dying Plea” capture the current state of America and push for social change. And the group intend to donate 100% of the songs’ proceeds toward a handful of organizations. 

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Anti-Flag’s Chris #2 penned the following op-ed about the importance of their two latest tracks, “A Dying Plea Vol. 1” and “A Dying Plea Vol. 2,” which premiered Tuesday.

To say that there is a lot of complexity to the creation of these songs would be an understatement… 

In times of social change, in the optimism of protest and the inspiration of direct action, Anti-Flag have always looked to work. To find ways to best provide commentary but to also creatively contribute to the tireless and arduous work of social justice. The pandemic has made that process increasingly more difficult and has had us seeking to find what the best use of our band is, of our platform and our art. 

In the wake of the murder of George Floyd, I was talking with my niece (Jálise Della Gary, who appears on “A Dying Plea Vol. 1“), a 13-year-old, young Black girl, seeing the Black Lives Matter movement grow and increasingly becoming activated by things like TikTok. She had mentioned she wanted to work on a song to support and be a part of what is happening around the world. My sister and her fiancé (Jálise’s mother and father) were murdered when she was 11 months old. She lives with my mother in Texas and is at that important moment for any artist when they’re finding who they are and what their voice is. The part she sings in this song is so powerful to me. A 13-year-old asking, “How long must we wait?” Every time I hear it, it shakes me.

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All at the same time, Stevie Aiello (producer of “A Dying Plea Vol. 2” and collaborator on “American Attraction“/”The Disease“) had reached out saying he wanted to create a cross-genre collaboration and release it as a benefit for racial justice orgs. 

We then started the process of marrying the two ideas. Anti-Flag got to work on the music of “A Dying Plea Vol. 1,” and Stevie started building what would become “Vol. 2.” We then started the process of reaching out to our friends that we felt had not only important stories to tell but also had unique perspectives on the movement. 

DE’WAYNE, who we have know since making American Fall in 2016, was always in the MDDN studio while we there. We connected and had a kinship right away. Marcia Richards of the Skints, we’ve known since playing festivals together in the U.K. almost 10 years ago but have never collaborated with creatively. Jordan Montgomery, we only knew through mutual friends, but his art and record label Driving While Black has been some of the most important creative offerings our city of Pittsburgh has delivered in a long time. Jason Yawn, D.C. stalwart (of Free Children Of Earth and Trial By Fire fame), was instrumental in creating the song lyrically and as a soundboard for a lot of ideas as they came in.

Finally, Tom Morello, who has operated as our band’s mentor since taking us on The Battle Of Los Angeles tour in 1999. We had Will Putney mix “Vol. 1.” I met him as a guest panelist on his “We Can Do Better” charity livestream, but we have always been a fan of his production work. Matt Good mixed “Vol. 2,” and we wanted to keep Matt involved as we loved making 20/20 Vision with him. He is a particularly important part of this current version of Anti-Flag. All of these people create art based on empathy and activism, and while our approaches are all varying the end goals of social, economic, environmental and racial justice are all shared…

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The artwork for this release was created by Dakarai Akil, whose collage art is a small window into Black surrealism. Dakarai is from Cleveland, went to school in Pittsburgh and now lives in L.A. So many connections to these songs and their co-conspirators.  

The cover image of “Vol. 1” features a photo of a police-halted march in Birmingham, 1963. The protestors pictured are praying for Bull Connor and those who were arrested at sit-in protests. The prayer protests were aimed at appealing to the civility or faith of their racist Christian opponents in Birmingham. One white officer pictured stated, African Americans’ prayers never rose above their heads… 

The videos for “A Dying Plea Vol. 1 & 2” were created by Keith Ray and Killer Dutch. Keith created two distinct visual stories, capturing the rise of neo-fascism, endless ramp up and further militarization of policing in America. And he created these videos all while running for and winning an election as the new Tribal Secretary of the Paskenta Band Of Nomlaki Indians.

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Lastly, in a further effort to demonstrate the vast geographical distance covered in this release, we have chosen the following four organizations to receive 100% of all proceeds generated by these two songs. From Pittsburgh to Chicago, Los Angeles to London. 

Black Lives Matter. Black Trans Lives Matter. 

Much love, much respect,
Chris #2 and Anti-Flag

The political punk favorites recruited Tom Morello, DE’WAYNE, The Skints’ Marcia Richards and Jalise Della Gary for the politically-charged track, which premiered on Election Day. Now, an equally powerful video is being released.

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Anti-Flag’s history with Morello stretches back several decades with the Pittsburgh act joining Rage Against The Machine on tour over the years. Morello even appears in the band’s newly released documentary Beyond Barricades: The Story Of Anti-Flag, which is available digitally via Vimeo and Amazon now and on DVD beginning Nov. 6.

On the new track, DE’WAYNE is also continuing to use his platform to promote conversations around the state of the country following “National Anthem,” which was released via Hopeless Records earlier this year. He’s joined by Richards, who released Swimming Lessons with the Skints last year. Anti-Flag bassist Chris #2’s niece Jalise Della Gary rounds out the features for an all-encompassing collab.

Anti-Flag penned a short statement on the importance of the release, which you can read in full below:

The 2020 election has highlighted the heightened divide between so many Americans. It has also clearly defined the unity among the ruling classes, who handpick and present political candidates who have no intention of challenging an unjust structure of power, which protects and enriches the nation’s economic elites.

Their unwillingness to waver on the marginalization, persecution and murder of BIPOC whether by economic isolation, environmental disaster or militarized and racist police forces. Their inability to break from the corporations that buy, sell and trade their policies and platforms allowing them to devour our planet, make us sick and create endless war for the sake of their economies.

With the civic duty of voting behind us and while the world waits to see the electoral outcome, we must turn our attention to the next phases of the work we all need to be doing. Working to hold these people accountable, fighting racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism and all bigotry. The change we seek doesn’t come from presidents, prime ministers or popes. It has historically and will always come from The People.

Our hope is that A Dying Plea Vol. 1 & 2 serve as a reminder to stay focused on these goals. Vote. Strike. Boycott. Protest. Win.

“A Dying Plea Vol. 1” follows the band’s twelfth full-length 20/20 Vision released at the top of this year. The band dropped a deluxe version as 20/20 Division with five new songs last week, which is available to stream here.

All proceeds from “A Dying Plea Vol. 1” will be donated to sisTers Pittsburgh, SARI, Justice LA Now and My Block, My City, My Hood Chicago.

Preorders for a limited edition 7-inch are available through A-F Records here. You can stream the track here and below in the video directed and produced by Keith Ray and INDECLINE.

Anti-Flag “A Dying Plea Vol. 1” lyrics

We can’t breathe…

I know you looking for a victim to kill – I KNOW YOU
I know you looking for a son to steal – I KNOW YOU
You wanna catch me slipping down on my heels
For a moment to boast and shout look at this nigga I killed
But what about my rights?
What about my life?
We ain’t equal to them
If they ain’t kill us
Slamming us down
Saw the tape on CNN
Got a call from my mother
You bet not go outside again
Got a call from my father
Like put a damn gun to they head
BANG

With others oppressed no one is free…

When just to breathe is a dying plea
Your freedom falls only skin deep
Out of reach like an American Dream

The blue lines cross at demand and need
Raze the statues from the hanging tree
Out of reach like an American Dream

We can’t breathe…

Well I’m unbelievably out of breath
I remember inna school that respect wasn’t there
Imagine what a fool, I’d step where the other girls stepped
I’d forget that I checked and the step wasn’t there
I know underneath another layer lies another liar
Out come the wolves from their wool to deny our rights
Buckle up, watch it take a turn until your luck is up
We got the backup and we’ll say their names until you’re gone
With others oppressed no one is free…

When just to breathe is a dying plea
Your freedom falls only skin deep
Out of reach like an American Dream

The blue lines cross at demand and need
Raze the statues from the hanging tree
Out of reach like an American Dream

How long must we wait
For all of this to change
The fear, the death, the pain…
Will it ever go away
How long must we wait
How long?
When just to breathe is a dying plea
Your freedom falls only skin deep
Out of reach like an American Dream
We can’t breathe…