Tom Morello talks teaming up with Kneecap and his new solo album: “It’s a record for everyone who’s had enough”

Tom Morello has spoken to NME about the “State of the Union address” of new solo album ‘Everyone Gets Everything They Want’ – which sees him team up with Kneecap for the incendiary ‘Unconquered’.

READ MORE: Kneecap on ‘Fenian’ and fighting back: “We understand that religious divide serves absolutely nobody” The Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave guitar hero turned solo star explained how the “spectre of authoritarianism” and rising tide of politicians globally embracing far-right ideology acted as a catalyst for the album, which also sees him collaborate with System Of A Down ’s Serj Tankian , Beartooth , and his 15-year-old son Roman Morello (who has written savage riffs for five of the record’s 11 tracks).

“In this hour, rebellion is an act of self-care and rock ‘n’ roll is an act of self-defence,” Morello said, of the album produced by Tyler Smyth, Carl Restivo, Zakk Cervini, Dan Carey and Sam Nelson.

“‘Everyone Gets Everything They Want’ is music made out of total necessity.

It’s my first solo rock album, my 22nd album in my career and it’s a record for everyone who’s had enough.

Similar to the first Rage record and the first Audioslave record, it feels like standing on the precipice of a new ferociously rocking chapter of uncompromising rock ‘n’ roll.” For the fearsome cut ‘Unconquered’, Morello recruited kindred spirits Kneecap, having previously described the Belfast rap trio as “the Rage Against the Machine of now .” “That song is about the unconquered spirit – from college campuses to refugee camps to concert stages from Dublin to Detroit,” Morello explained.

“The ember that does not go out, no matter how great the repression, state violence and state terror directed against people or artists.

As long as there’s breath in our lungs and electricity in our Marshall stacks, that spirit will remain unconquered.” “With this song, the idea was to make one guitar sound like an entire revolution,” he continued.

“And this record is my State of the Union address.” View this post on Instagram Check out more the rest of our interview with Morello below, where he also discussed attracting the ire of the right-wing for inscribing “Fuck Tommy Robinson” on his guitar and applauded the “courage” of the likes of Kneecap and Macklemore using their platform to speak out .

NME: Hello Tom! What was inspiring ‘Everyone Gets Everything They Want’? Tom Morello: “Well, this is likely my last album before we all go to jail! But it is my contention that music can be a binding force and an elevating power, an uplifting, unifying, transcendent thing – and in times like these, a weapon for change.

Like music, joy and laughter have suddenly become acts of resistance.