Militarie Gun have announced Life Under the Sun, a new EP due on January 26th featuring reimaginings of songs from their debut album, Life Under the Gun. Along with the announcement, they shared the single “My Friends Are Having a Hard Time” featuring Manchester Orchestra.
Life Under the Gun debuted in summer 2023 and served as a proper introduction to the blend of kinda-sorta hardcore sonics and personal songwriting that earned Militarie Gun a spot on Consequence‘s list of 15 rising artists to watch in 2024. The track “My Friends Are Having a Hard Time” — which has now been reimagined as a duet with Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull — exemplifies that blend.
“My girl says this song makes her really sad,” frontman Ian Shelton told Consequence for Militarie Gun’s Track by Track breakdown of Life Under the Gun. “Being someone who loves melancholy songs, I just love it. At the time I wrote it, it felt like every day was exciting to me — I was creatively thriving and there were opportunities happening I had never seen before, but at the same time I would see friends going through intense hardships and I felt guilty.”
Continuing, Shelton explained how he channeled that juxtaposition into his writing. “As someone who came from something crazy it felt like the first time in my life I felt truly on the outside of hardship and I just wanted to write a song that was extending my hand to the people I knew were struggling,” he said. “Ultimately the result is you are powerless over others’ pain but I just wanted to express my desire to help.”
The new, single version of “My Friends Are Having a Hard Time” arrives as the third single from Life Under the Sun, following last November’s releases: “Very High (Under The Sun)” and “Never Fucked Up Twice,” the latter of which features Bully vocalist Alicia Bognanno. Also included on the five-song EP’s tracklist will be a version of “Will Logic” featuring Mannequin Pussy and a cover of the NOFX track, “Whoops I OD’d.” Check out the artwork and tracklist below.
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Up next, the band will embark on a 31-date North American tour, kicking off in Phoenix, Arizona next week. After wrapping the tour with a date in Seattle on March 9th, the band is also booked for several festival appearances, including sets at Coachella, Welcome to Rockville, Primavera Sound, Bonnaroo, and more. Check out their upcoming dates, and grab your tickets here.
Life Under the Sun Artwork:
Life Under the Sun Tracklist:
01. Never Fucked Up Twice (feat. Bully)
02. Very High (Under The Sun)
03. Will Logic (feat. Mannequin Pussy)
04. My Friends Are Having a Hard Time (feat. Manchester Orchestra)
05. Whoops, I OD’d (NOFX cover)
