What does Chicago punk band Rise Against have in common with Taylor Swift and Demi Lovato? No, they don't all use the same shampoo (although their locks are all quite lustrous). If you guessed "anti-bullying advocacy," you'd be right. All three have spoken out about this problem in an effort to let their young fans know they're not alone.
In collaboration with the It Gets Better Project, Rise Against recently returned to lead singer Tim McIlrath's old high school to film a video for their new single, "Make It Stop (September's Children)." Inspired by the tragic teen suicides of this past September, the band wanted to send a strong message to young people everywhere about how unacceptable homophobia and bullying are.
"I wanted to do a song that, first, lets fans know that we don't tolerate bigotry in our audience, and, second, empower fans who are coming to grips with their own sexuality," McIlrath said. "Empower them to be proud of who they are and that we accept them, and create a community that accepts them." Right on!
To accompany the video's premiere, we have an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at its creation. In it, the actors and band members open up about their own experiences being bullied in high school, as well as their ultimate realizations that the things that made them different were also the things that made them great.
+ Watch Rise Against in an exclusive, behind-the-scenes clip of "Make It Stop (September's Children)" below.