Story by Maddy Howell

Coming into their eighth studio album, Stick To Your Guns had every reason to be angry.

With the roll-out and release of 2022’s Spectre heavily impacted by the global pandemic - staying on the shelf for two years after its completion - the added internal chaos amongst the band meant tensions were high. The landscape of heavy music changing day-by-day as drummer George Schmitz called time on his tenure in the band, as the year wrapped up serious conversations about throwing in the towel began rippling through the remaining members.

“Things started moving so fast, and we've really seen the ‘corporate rock’ mentality infiltrate hardcore and metalcore recently,” guitarist Josh James nods.

“That was really hard for us to digest because the kind of music that we play has always been counterculture. We're offering an alternative to the mainstream, but we started seeing a lot of our world coexisting with the mainstream and becoming part of the mainstream. Of course, there are benefits to that, but it was hard for us to internally process. The plan was to do some final shows and go out with a smile on our faces.”

With drummer Adam Galindo joining their ranks, the fate of Stick to Your Guns was almost sealed when they played their 20th anniversary shows in Orange County, California. A slew of tour offers coming in shortly after, as they hopped back in the van to join the likes of Hawthorne Heights and Comeback Kid on the road, their perspective on the band’s future began to change.

“We reverted back to being these 15-year-old kids. We were excited to get in the van for a 20-hour drive so that we could play a show for 400 kids. Laughing, experiencing the world together, and relearning things about each other and ourselves,” James recalls.

“It was like a rebirth. I had a couple of riffs, and Chris [Rawson, guitarist] had a couple too, so we decided to write and record two songs. We wrote them, but then we just didn't stop writing… That’s how Keep Planting Flowers was born.”

Admittedly the easiest writing process of their career, album eight marks a brand-new era for the Orange County hardcore heavyweights. Inspired by the world around them as well as one another’s own experiences, the five-piece stripped things back to basics. Shutting out the noise of the industry and focusing solely on their passion for music, Keep Planting Flowers is the sound of a band with a newfound confidence in their purpose. 

“We wrote a bunch of songs that we love, and hopefully people like them, but if that doesn't happen… That's totally fine,” James shrugs.

“We keep saying that we're the cockroaches of the scene, because you're never going to get rid of us. We might crawl into the cracks of the walls for a while, but we’re still here. I can't tell you if this is going to be the best record for everyone hearing it, but I genuinely love it from front to back.”

Its title taken from a phrase the band’s members have often used during times of hardship, Keep Planting Flowers is a reminder that no matter what we're going through, we can always make things more beautiful. 

With glimmers of doubt, anger, and pessimism speckled within the album’s ten songs, it’s an exploration of what it is to be human. Journeying through the darkness in search of something brighter, asking how we can avoid making the same mistakes in the future, this is Stick To Your Guns in their purest, most vital form.

“It’s about trying to avoid having a nihilistic view and trying to avoid completely giving up on things. Whether you're looking at the state of the world or you're going through personal grief, it may seem cheesy, but it’s about staying positive,” the guitarist explains. 

“At the same time though, that title took on another meaning. For instance, we wrote half of ‘Eats Me Up’ during the Disobedient sessions. That song has just been sitting in the garden, we've been watering it, and it's finally bloomed.”

Rediscovering their love for creation and collaboration, some familiar voices also appear across Keep Planting Flowers. SeeYouSpaceCowboy’s Connie Sgarbossa delivering a crushing guest vocal on closer ‘H84U’ whilst Terror’s Scott Vogel rejoins the band on ‘Who Needs Who’ -following his appearance on 2016 track ‘Disobedient’ - it’s a glorious showcase of the scene’s past, present, and future.

“I don't think we have ever been interested in putting someone popular on a song purely so we can tap into their fans,” James says.

“We don't ever want a friend to feel like we're trying to use their status to grow, but we did really want to have some guests on there. Scott Vogel has been one of the biggest supporters of Stick To Your Guns, and there's been a brotherhood bond between us and Terror for over a decade. The song ‘The Bond’ on Diamond is about them, and anytime that there's a part we think Vogel would nail, we go after it. It’s crazy how much he loves his craft, and how much he loves hardcore.”

“With Connie, we met SeeYouSpaceCowboy right before the pandemic. They're a super fun band to tour with because they’re rowdy young kids, and we love that. Earlier this year, we went to Australia together, and we found out that Connie is a big Stick To Your Guns fan. She’s got a Diamond tattoo! When we wrote ‘H84U’, I kept hearing someone with a much higher pitch than Jesse [Barnett, vocalist]. Connie was the first person we discussed, but she had a crazy touring schedule. One day, she hit us up on FaceTime from a studio, and we did it all over that call. It was a super interesting experience, because we've never done that before.”

Settling into their new label home at SharpTone Records, the future of Stick To Your Guns feels bright. Rescuing their band from the brink and returning with one of their boldest efforts to date, as they look out at a hardcore movement taking over the world, they’re heading into 2025 wholly assured of their place in the scene.

“There’s never a discussion about whether we should or shouldn't continue to write about certain topics, stand for certain things, or try to be a voice for the people that don't have a voice,” James finishes. 

“It doesn't matter if we’re playing to 150 kids or 15,000 kids, we get offstage after every show now and say, ‘That was fucking awesome’. Being able to look back on our journey, and playing the Diamond anniversary shows… When I listen to Keep Planning Flowers, to me, it sounds like a blend of Diamond and Disobedient. I hope that people who haven't listened to the band's last couple of records give this one a chance, because I think that this new era of Stick To Your Guns will connect to them in some way.”

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Keep Planting Flowers arrives January 10th via SharpTone Records. Order the album - HERE

Be sure to catch Stick To Your Guns on the road with Palceface Swiss for The Cursed North American tour that begins in March 2025. A complete list of dates and cities can be found below. Get tickets - HERE