The Coathangers have shared a poignant and fiery new single “F The NRA” from their forthcoming album 'The Devil You Know', out March 8 on Suicide Squeeze.

Referring to the US's National Rifle Association which advocates for gun rights in the States,

the song was written by guitarist/vocalist Julia Kugel, who felt compelled to make a political statement in the face of potential backlash, in part because she is a refugee from Belarus, a country with limited freedom of speech and press. She’s expanded upon her motivations to

speak out in an essay published today at The Talkhouse, with contributions and advice from Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill), Brendan Canty (Fugazi/The Messthetics) and Dennis Lyxzen (Refused, International Noise Conspiracy).

From the essay: 

​

"I do not take the freedom of expression that all U.S. citizens are granted lightly. The band was confident that we wanted to put ‘F the NRA’ on the record. It provided a personal catharsis and a sense of empowerment in

the wake of the immense feeling of helplessness that was weighing

heavily on us as we coped with continuous reports of mass shootings.

It was not until those around us started warning us of the repercussions

we could face, did we realize the risk involved in yelling at the giant.

My ingrained fear of speaking out came back to me.

Yet the reason I am a musician is because of a need to express my truth, personal or political. I began to question everything: the rights of an

artist, the responsibility of being political, the fear of backlash, and

the desire to be heard." 

“The writing process was done with an open heart,” says Kugel of 

The Coathangers' new album 'The Devil You Know'. 

“Everything that came before had to go away. Whatever hang-up,

whatever thing we were holding onto, it had to go away.

And we started there, at ground zero.”

The album title stems from an old adage whispered at a friend’s wedding; we settle when we’re afraid of the unknown. It’s a theme that runs through every song on the album, and even though the band insists they were writing songs about other peoples’ pain, they acknowledge that the old saying applies to their band as well. We get comfortable, we get scared, and we refuse to change. But with ‘The Devil You Know’, The Coathangers lost their fear, and that allowed them to shed the baggage of the past.

“Why are we living in these cells we built for ourselves?” Kugel asks. 

“That’s been the great thing about this record. It’s been honest and confrontational… but not in a shitty way.” 
 
Suicide Squeeze Records is proud to release ‘The Devil You Know’ to the world on March 8, 2019 on CD, a limited run of 300 cassettes, digital formats, and an initial pressing of 3,000 LPs

with 500 copies on MAYDAY colour vinyl, 500 on LUCKY DEVIL colour vinyl, and 2000 on BITTERSWEET colour vinyl. The vinyl version includes foil on the cover of the LP jacket,

a printed inner sleeve, and a download card.

'The Devil You Know' will be released on March 9th via Suicide Squeeze.

​

LIVE DATES

 

Feb 20 - Santa Ana, CA, Marty’s On Newport
Feb 21 - Los Angeles, CA, Teragram Ballroom
Feb 22 - Long Beach, CA, Alex’s Bar
Feb 23 - San Francisco, CA, Independent*
Feb 24 - Reno, NV, Holland Project*
Feb 26 - Bend, OR, Volcanic Lounge*
Feb 27 - Portland, OR, Mississippi Studios*
Feb 28 - Seattle, WA, Neumos*
Mar 1 - Bellingham, WA, Shakedown*
Mar 2 - Vancouver, BC, Imperial
Mar 5 - Spokane, WA, The Bartlett*
Mar 6 - Boise, ID, Olympic*
Mar 7 - Salt Lake City, UT, Kilby Court*
Mar 9 - San Diego, CA, Casbah*
Mar 16 - Dallas, TX, Not So Fun Fest at Club Dada
Apr 4 - Birmingham, AB, Saturn
Apr 5 - Nashville, TN, Exit/In ^
Apr 6 - St. Louis, MO, Old Rock House ^
Apr 7 - Kansas City, MO, recordBar ^
Apr 8 - Minneapolis, MN, Turf Club ^
Apr 9 - Chicago, IL, Empty Bottle ^
Apr 11 - Detroit, MI, El Club ^
Apr 12 - Cleveland, OH, Grog Shop ^
Apr 13 - Toronto, ON, The Horseshoe ^
Apr 14 - Montreal, QC, Le Ritz ^
Apr 15 - Boston, MA, Great Scott ^
Apr 17 - Asbury Park, NJ, Asbury Lanes ^
Apr 18 - New York, NY, Music Hall of Williamsburg ^
Apr 19 - Washington, DC, DC9 ^
Apr 20 - Philadelphia, PA, Underground Arts ^
May 26 - Las Vegas, NV, Punk Rock Bowling
* w/ SadGirl
^ w/ Big Bite

​

​

B I Z Z A R R E

​

​

.

​

​

​

​