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’.
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.”
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. There may come a time in the not-so-distant future where the ideas expressed in our art and music, and the people who perform it, may find themselves censored, smothered, evicted, erased. But not today. Because history is not something that happens – it’s something we make. I’m going to fight the fight and go down swinging.
“Also, what a joy it is to work with my 15-year-old wunderkind son Roman. From poaching his riffs to standing next to him on stage, he’s been my muse on this record. It’s said Van Gogh used all his energy and concentration to sufficiently catch fire. Roman’s input on this record has given me all the energy and concentration I need to sufficiently catch fire.”
Does Roman remind you of yourself at that age?
“He’s 15, and I didn’t start playing until I was 17-years-old. At 15, I was playing Dungeons & Dragons and wondering why I couldn’t get a date! He’s more advanced in a lot of ways, but he has the DNA that allows him to create Morellian riffs – but they’re riffs I wouldn’t have thought of. Damn all charges of nepotism: if your kid’s that fucking good, it’s not nepotism! He’s a great addition to the world of music.”
How did the collaboration with Kneecap come about?
“I’ve been a fan since their inception. I saw the Kneecap movie long before any of the political controversy and thought what a great fucking group. I’m named after Thomas Fitzgerald, my Irish great-grandfather, so the blood of Irish rebels runs in my veins too. The fact that a group so fearlessly aligns with the world’s oppressed as part of who they are as a band is something that’s near and dear to my heart. I see a kinship with Kneecap. They’re not just a great group – they stand up for the oppressed and they’ve got my vote.
“When I first reached out, I said there’s only three criteria for this song. One: it’s got to be called ‘Unconquered’. Two: it’s got to have a devastating hook. And three, it’s got to rock a festival like crazy! We checked all three of those boxes.”
Were you working with them during their High Court case?
“We’d been in touch by then, but it was just after that. But I followed that closely. Here’s the thing: when I played Download festival, a lot of people complained that I had ‘FUCK TOMMY ROBINSON’ written on the back of my guitar. People kept saying, ‘Keep politics out of music’.
“First of all, 35 years too late for that! I’m not your dancing monkey here to entertain you. I’m never going to put down my free speech when I pick up my guitar. From day one, I have made anti-racist songs for anti-racists and anti-fascist songs for anti-fascists. In the case of the song ‘Date Night’ on my new record, literally anti-Nazi songs for anti-Nazis. If someone has a problem with that, we can all easily do the math. An artist’s responsibility is simple and that’s to speak the truth as you see it in your art.”
During the Kneecap backlash, they faced both then Labour PM Keir Starmer and Conservative Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch calling for them to be removed from Glastonbury. Did any of it remind you of the controversies Rage Against the Machine faced?
“Sure. It’s a one-to-one ratio – like when we stood up for political prisoners like Leonard Peltier and Mumia Abu-Jamal, and when we were picketed by the Fraternal Order of Police. Radio stations in the South wouldn’t touch Audioslave songs. But if you’re making art and music everyone can agree on, you’re probably making pretty shitty art and music – especially in times like these.”
“It’s important not just to single out artists who speak their mind. You shouldn’t ghettoise music as, ‘Look, they’re speaking out and are censored’. It’s journalists, filmmakers, students, carpenters, unions, all of whom have come under fire – which is one more reason why we need to recognise the world isn’t going to change itself. That’s up to us. Courage is contagious.”
Disturbed frontman David Draiman publicly described you as “shameful” over your support for Kneecap. Have you spoken to him privately about his comments?
“I’m very wary of giving pull-quotes over something like that because I know him and I’m familiar with the media… You know, I’m a big proponent of free thought and free speech. People can think what they want to and I’m one of those people that will think what I want to, and do what I want to too.”
You also hailed Macklemore’s pro-Palestine protest song ‘Hind’s Hall’ as the “most Rage Against the Machine song since Rage Against the Machine”. Have you followed the backlash he faced for declaring “Free Palestine!” on stage during the Ed Sheeran tour support slot [note: this interview was conducted before the rapper was removed from the bill]
“Its hard for artists to speak up. Whether it’s Kneecap or Macklemore, the idea that somehow stating that you’re opposed to the mass murder of children is a controversial point of view and that’s where the anger and enmity should be directed as opposed to them being opposed to the mass murder of children – that to me seems like it’s grossly unfair, but it’s common from Middle Schools to Glastonbury.
“Like I said, courage is contagious. I am a proponent of human rights for everyone. When I am critical of the human rights abuses of Russia, that does not mean that I am critical of people who believe in the Russian Orthodox Church. When I’m critical of human rights abuses of Saudi Arabia, that does not mean that I’m critical of people who believe in Islam.
“When I’m critical of human rights abuses of England, that does not mean I’m critical of people who believe in the Church of England. And when I’m critical of the human rights abuses of Israel, that does not mean anything against anyone of any religion. I want there to be peace, justice, equality and human rights across the board. And whenever that peace, justice or human rights are transgressed, it’s my duty to stand up against it.”
The track ‘Adjourn It’ features Serj Tankian and takes aim at the tide of anti-immigration rhetoric. What was the spark point for it?
“It was written at the height of the ICE invasion of Los Angeles and three Angelenos came together – Serj, myself and Roman who wrote the riff in that song too. Blacked-out window vans were cruising the streets. Serj has been a great friend and comrade for years and his chorus is spectacular. But I wonder why Americans are not turning to pitchforks, torches and guillotines at this point? What’s it going to take? To me, there are three options on the table: tyranny, revolution, or more of this bullshit.
“The most effective tactic the ruling class has is divide and rule and getting us fighting one and other by demonising the most vulnerable – trans kids, immigrants, etc. The average white working class person in the United States who voted for Trump has more in common with the working-class Mexican immigrant than they do Elon Musk. Somehow that narrative’s been turned on its head. I’ll never censor anything in my music, but it can be a very unifying thing – the wide net a great jam can cast should not be underestimated. People can be exposed to a different set of ideas because they love the guitar solo.”
You recently finished another tour with Bruce Springsteen And The E Street band, which partly acted as a clarion call to fight for democracy, and saw him premiere the anti-ICE anthem ‘Streets of Minneapolis’. When President Trump lashes out at Springsteen calling him a “not a talented guy” and ‘a dried out prune’, does it anger you or do you simply laugh at its childishness?
“Well, I mean, laughing all the way to the gulag. It’s very serious. I’m going to use what time I’ve got to rise up to the tide of tyranny, whether that’s playing those 20 shows with Bruce Springsteen on the Land of Hope and Dreams tour, or our upcoming Power To The People Festival, within shouting distance of Washington DC. It’s time to let world know we’re not going to take it.”
Tell us about your Power To The People festival…
“For decades, I’ve been putting together charity and activist shows on a smaller scale. Part of the inspiration was doing the Back to the Beginning show [Black Sabbath 2025 farewell gig, acting as musical director] and realising we can take an idea and do it big. There’s no better time than now at this crossroads in our country’s history. We’re standing up against authoritarianism at a time where it’s not clear where the roulette ball will fall. In the immediate aftermath of [the ICE killings of] Alex Preti and Renee Good, my phone started ringing off the hook with artists reaching out to me. All of a sudden, it felt personal.
“Gestapo tactics were right outside your door, whether you’re an undocumented immigrant in East LA or Dave Grohl. It felt like we are under siege as a people – and on that day, we can make a stand.”
‘Everyone Gets Everything They Want’ is released September 25 via Mom + Pop Music.
