Militarie Gun, the Los Angeles-based hardcore band, is back with their new single “Thought You Were Waving,” accompanied by a cheeky Neta Ben Ezra-directed video that portrays the band in unruly and dangerous situations. Premiered by Zane Lowe on his New Music Daily show, this track marks the first fresh material from the band since their acclaimed debut album, “Life Under The Gun,” released last year. This new release, created with the talented Zachary Dawes (known for his work with Lana Del Rey, Sharon Van Etten, Bully, and Elton John), signals a promising new chapter for Militarie Gun.
The single follows closely on the heels of “Gun Under The Gun (MFG),” a track created for the WWE 2K24 video game as the entrance music for Post Malone’s wrestling character. Post Malone also included the band’s hit “Do It Faster” on his curated playlist for the game’s soundtrack, underscoring the band’s growing influence in the music scene.
Militarie Gun has been on an international tear, recently wrapping up a series of headline and support shows with Hockey Dad in Australia. Their globetrotting schedule continues through the end of the year, highlighted by a highly anticipated hometown show in Los Angeles on July 25th, supported by Gouge Away, Heart to Gold, and Human Garbage. Festival appearances at Lollapalooza, Project Pabst, Thing Festival, Reading & Leeds, Louder Than Life, and Aftershock are also on the horizon. Additionally, the band will embark on a European tour with Lip Critic, Pluto The Racer, Never Yours, Chiefland, daysdaysdays, and Tripsun on select dates, and will join Manchester Orchestra for the 10-year anniversary tour of their album “COPE” across North America in September. Tickets for all upcoming shows can be found here.
Earlier this year, Militarie Gun released “Live Under The Sun,” a mini-documentary that showcases the band and their collaborators reimagining tracks from the “Life Under The Sun” EP at Manchester Orchestra’s Atlanta studio. Featuring guest performances from Manchester Orchestra, Marisa Dabice of Mannequin Pussy, and Christine Goodwyne of Pool Kids, this documentary highlights the dynamic and expectation-defying songwriting of bandleader Ian Shelton and the growing community around Militarie Gun.
“Life Under The Sun” strips back a selection of songs from their debut album “Life Under The Gun,” placing Ian Shelton’s intensely personal songwriting at the forefront. The EP includes standout tracks like “Never Fucked Up Twice” featuring Bully’s Alicia Bognanno, “Very High (Under The Sun),” “My Friends Are Having A Hard Time” featuring Manchester Orchestra, “Will Logic” featuring Mannequin Pussy, and a cover of NOFX’s “Whoops I OD’d.”
“Life Under The Gun” was one of 2023’s most celebrated albums, earning praise from Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, NME, Revolver, Stereogum, SPIN, Paste, The FADER, and more. It landed on multiple best-of-2023 lists, including those from Alternative Press, The Ringer, UPROXX, Stereogum, and Rolling Stone, who noted that the album “takes everything that’s uniquely cathartic about hardcore and lacquers it with insanely catchy melodies.” The album’s infectious appeal was showcased in Taco Bell’s ad campaign featuring “Do It Faster.”