Austin Lucas has announced the release of a new album ‘Alive In The Hot Zone!’ which lands on October 30th 2020 via Cornelius Chapel Records, along with the first single ‘Already Dead’. Written and recorded in the earliest days of the Covid-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter/American uprising, the album is described as representing “a new direction for Austin, yet retains his distinctive voice and hyperliterate writing style. Contained are ten songs that serve as direct commentary regarding the ongoing global situation, isolation, fear and the indomitable spirit required to stand up against systemic racism and fascism, in a world spiralling out of control.”
“An American songwriter and political activist currently experiencing a more or less involuntary exile, Austin finds himself isolated in a foreign land, far away from his family and friends. He watches with terror and no small amount of inspirational awe, as his country buckles under the weight of a pandemic and yet it’s people find the courage and strength to rise up for a long overdue reckoning with centuries of systemic oppression. Although an authoritarian narcissist and white supremacist sits in the White House and men of his ilk occupy top positions of power all across the globe, Austin Lucas comes to us with a message of hope and his most concisely empathetic and political album to date.”
Lucas this week shared his thoughts about the album’s first single – the politically-charged ‘Already Dead’ which you can listen to below: “Musically and lyrically, I imagine this song to be a confluence of The Strokes, John Mellencamp and Against Me! Which I think brings forth a mixture of heartland rock and indie punk, with overt Antifascist politics.”
“There’s a specific socio-political calamity that’s been growing to fruition over more than half a century, clearly displayed by the current uptick of support for white supremacist ideologies and authoritarian dictators around the world. It’s extensively studied by Alexander Reid Ross in his book “Against The Fascist Creep,” where he sheds light upon the insidious, deliberate entanglement of far-right fascist thought, both into leftist ideologies/radical spaces and mainstream right-wing “patriot” culture. This song is directly about my heartbreaking personal experiences, watching friends as they are slowly and methodically manipulated and indoctrinated by racist, authoritarian, anti-semitic, hyper-masculine and entirely fascistic ideologies. To put it succinctly, this song is about watching the terrifying decline of someone you love, as they fall into the darkest hole of hate and despair, until the eyes staring back at you from the shadows no longer belong to the person you once loved.”
