The Avett Brothers released a new song, “Bang Bang” which is melodic and simple. The message is thematically driven with its purpose to shine light on the angst they feel with violence in media. Lyrics like, “Another bang bang shoot’em up movie, pride and vengeance all around. Another bang bang shoot’em up movie, meant to blow my mind, make my heart pound.” The Avett Brothers share how tired they have become with violence in general. They mention in the song that they live in the country because they love peace and quiet but their neighbors have closets full of machine guns and like to pretend they are Rambo in their free time.

Seth Avett says new album, Closer Than Together is led by the personal narrative of their own lives. He says, “In this way, there is no massive departure from our continued artistic language. This chapter however, perhaps in part because of our age or our time, wanders inevitably into hallways both social and political.”

Avett says, “The last thing the world needs is another piece of sociopolitical commentary. We, as a species that boasts at least some semblance of consciousness, are entering an odd new form of fatigue: one that encompasses not only our observance of the behavior of others (nefarious and otherwise), but also our seemingly unlimited endurance to loudly judge and wax philosophically about it.”

He continues, “We didn’t make a record that was meant to comment on the sociopolitical landscape that we live in. We did, however, make an album that is obviously informed by what is happening now on a grander scale all around us…because we are a part of it and it is a part of us. Closer Than Together is a record of obvious American origin – a creation that fittingly could only come about through hard work, measured freedom, awe-inspiring landscapes, and perfectly flawed individualism.”

The album, Closer Than Together via American/Republic Records will hit stores October 4, 2019. The album is available for pre-order here. The song & official music video for “Bang Bang” was directed by Morgan Neville (20 Feet from Stardom, Won’t You be My Neighbor?) and the video shows images of the band first putting pen to paper creating the new song and follows them to the stage performing “Bang Bang” in front of a massive audience.

The Avett Brothers kicked off their US tour on September 7 in Ohio and will make various stops before they play in North Carolina on New Year’s Eve. The Avett Brothers will perform their “At the Beach” concert series in the Dominican Republic at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana from February 27 to March 2, 2020. The festival will include Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Emmylou Harris, Shakey Graves, Dawes, Trampled by Turtles, The Wood Brothers, Mandolin Orange, Langhorne Slim and The Lost At Last Band, and more.

Photo Credit: Ekaterina Gorbacheva