Our obsession with Griffen Handshake seems to grow with every listen. Having featured a slew of their recent releases, we were curious once we found out that the pair had just shared Backwards Country, and couldn’t wait to listen and share our experience.
Setting the tone with a textured cymbal and anthemic punk rock adjacent energy, Griffen Handshake open Backwards Country with philosophical depth as they share thought-provoking prose with reference to “the gun violence that occurs in America today.”
We learn that Backwards Country marks Griffen Handshake‘s first political anthem. The band are quick to state that this is not an anti-American song, but instead, specifically designed to raise awareness on the issue of gun control.
The talented creators showcase a high emotional quotient and valid commentary as they share their perspective on the super important issue that has countless ripple effects into society, including what is taking place in the Middle East.
The punk song itself was written in response to the July 4 parade shootings. Griffen Handshake share the poignant lyrics, “Boom goes the firework, boom goes the firearm, we watch on land, while our friends look down upon”, with the intention to capture “the scary and dark reality we live in”, and needless to say, we are captivated.
The band from Pittsburgh tell us, “Backwards Country‘s purpose is to raise gun violence awareness and to create dialogue on how we can make the USA and the world safer [and] p continue the dialogue of this extreme humanitarian issue and to push toward solutions to solve it.”
We absolutely love the intention that Griffen Handshake create with and couldn’t agree more with their message. We have added Backwards Country to our New Music Spotlight playlist and our brand new TIMELESS playlist, whilst we continue to stream Griffen Handshake‘s growing discography.