North Kingsley have released a new politically-inspired, thumping track and corresponding video, “Shotguns,” which is the final track off their three-song collection, Vol. 1. The mini-album is out now via 22 Red Media, which was founded by bassist/guitarist Shavo Odadjian, who also plays bass for iconic metal band System of a Down.

“Shotguns” continues the musical collective’s themes of addressing the current social climate in the U.S. and what it means to be an American today. The song is filled with a heavy, steady riff while vocalist Ray Hawthorne provides his signature mix of rap and vocals throughout. Discussing the inspiration behind the song’s lyrics, Hawthorne says, “Shotguns is an open discussion about what it means to be a modern day American. Is it even anything worth being proud of? What changes need to be made? As the days go on, these questions hold even more weight.”

“Shotguns” follows “Like That?” and “Die For the Pic,” which also appear on Vol. 1 and explore similar social themes. In a press release, the band explains they’ll be releasing their new music in a “unique and creative way relevant to today’s world that showcases a determination to revolutionize arcane structures.” Essentially, the trio will be releasing several “miniature volumes of three tracks every few months,” with Vol. 1 marking the first entry.

Discussing the non-traditional release, Odadjian says the goals is for fans to experiencing the music in smaller doses. “We’re giving you songs you can marinade on, instead of 12 songs all at once,” explains Odadjian. “There’s going to be a clip for every song, something visually for you to vibe on. Saro has an incredible eye for creating new things visually and I act almost how a producer would on that and we are going to drop merch with every release, so it’s more than just music.”

The band consists of Odadjian on bass/guitar while Hawthorne tackles lyrics/vocals and Producer Saro Paparian rounds out the trio. North Kingsley has already garnered acclaim from critics with Forbes claiming the group “Molds the aggression of rap, trap, rock, and metal, but with a modern edge.”

Photo credit: Mauricio Alvarado