ANCHORS & HEARTS announce their new, fourth album 'Guns Against Liberty', out June 4, 2021. The band that is fusing punk rock with metalcore and turning it into a distinctive and infecting mixture, never fails to prove that emotions and political statements can go perfectly together as long as the energy is positive and open-minded.
The pre-order for 'Guns Against Liberty' with limited vinyl and exclusive special bundle is up and running in the Redfield store!
In connection with the band's #TurnThatPage campaign, 10% of the buying price will be donated to #handforahand to help workers in the live industry, if you pick up the album or any related article in our shop.
ANCHORS & HEARTS make music with a political conscience – that doesn’t either sound like a news podcast or like destructive punk that’s just telling tells you how fucked the world is. The five musicians from Northern Germany are rather reflecting on what’s happening in the world and turn the focus on their surrounding and themselves. What does this all do with us? What can we do to make a change? It’s an empathetic and deeply optimistic perspective that is hiding beneath the martial title ‘Guns Against Liberty’. Stylistically ANCHORS & HEARTS are serving infecting punk rock with a proper dose of metal or full-on metal with the unapologetic punch of punk rock, somewhere between RISE AGAINST and A DAY TO REMEMBER. Nothing is euphemized, not everything demonized – ANCHORS & HEARTS are offering the mindset to carry on, not just to hang on.
“We’ve never been a band that is exclusively about a political agenda. It’s healthy for us to express our anger as well as our anxieties musically. Every idea, every lyric is based on a personal thought or an actual event.” Following singer Manuel Wintjen, ANCHORS & HEARS are first of all about emotions, no matter if musically or regarding the content. But at the same time these emotions naturally mix with what’s happening in the world and on the own doorstep. “I think, especially since the beginning of the year, it has become very obvious that we have to speak up about what’s right and what’s wrong. If we deny doing that, people without broad access to transparent and objective information will be overrun and monopolized by the lies and threats of irresponsible governments, parties or even conspiracists.”
The spirit of ANCHORS & HEARTS is perfectly represented by the track ‘Turn That Page’: “It’s about overthinking but also about letting the past go. Sometimes it’s just more important to turn the page and look forward”, Wintjen explains. That not giving up can actually be a pretty tough thing during the Corona pandemic, especially for people who are not able to work and who are ridden by real existential fears, ANCHORS & HEARTS bring up in the accompanying video for the song by introducing people from their network friends who are working in the music or live industry. Although they’re all having to face difficult times, they make clear that giving up is not an option. “For the video, we contacted friends whose jobs and lives are affected by the pandemic. We talked about the topic of the song and asked them how they are doing without being able to work and what they’re doing considering their mental health. It’s important for us to use our reach to tab those who are affected on the back and tell them: Life will go on.” Even Wintjen himself got hit by the crisis, not only as musician: “2020 was supposed to be the year that I work more as a tattoo artist than in my other job as carer. Following that decision, I wasn’t allowed to tattoo for five months. At the same time, all my other outlets for to preserve my mental balance were taken from me as well: No shows and tattoo studios as well as gyms closed. Psychologically and physically not my best days. Since then, I try not to get lost in the daily grind or build up negative routines. I draw positive energy from small tasks and goals.”
ANCHORS & HEARTS, originating from the middle of nowhere between Hamburg and Bremen in Germany, are anything but new to the scene. In fact, since the foundation in 2013 they released three albums already. Especially with the last album, the band spent a lot time on the road: Supports for THE USED, CRAZY TOWN, IGNITE or CALIBAN, shows at Deichbrand, Hurricane as well as Rock am Ring. On top of that, a successful double-headliner tour with WATCH OUT STAMPEDE. “We enjoyed every single concert and our minds were just fixed on the shows for some time. When Corona tried to pull us the plug, we didn’t feel like slowing down – not at all!”, Wintjen remembers and enthusiastically tells about the foundation of ‘Guns Against Liberty’. “For six weeks we worked extremely focused and created the entire record. Everything that troubled our minds at the time was captured like a snapshot and immediately written down. There were so many ideas right from the start that we didn’t want to ‘spoil’ them by taking breaks or having second thoughts. The album really comes to life through that.”
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