The Struts haven't changed their mind on America's gun problem, but after the English rocker witnessed an active shooter situation with their own eyes, they felt compelled to address it like few foreign artists would.
Ahead of their Soho Sessions performance this month for Everytown for Gun Safety, The Struts stopped by Q104.3 New York's Out of the Box with Jonathan Clarke. to talk about their new album, Pretty Vicious, and the troubling night they had in Nashville last spring during the recording sessions.
"We were at a bar called The Red Door ... and we actually experience someone shooting up the actual bar itself and that was a real life-changing moment," says frontman Luke Spiller. "I remember when we all hit the deck and I could see the flashes from the handgun going off and girls and people like around is all on the floor were crying, being sick with fear. ... Despite us being foreigners to this country I think it gave us like a real actual experience that we can draw from. And upon reflection when hearing about the various school shootings that happen in the States every year, it gives you a small sense of what people have experienced and the fear that they unrightfully had to go through. It really hits home."
Luke said he and his bandmates had always been surprised at how readily available guns are in the U.S. compared to in the U.K. Before traveling abroad, Luke says he doubts anyone in The Struts had ever seen a firearm in person that was more advanced than a hunting rifle or a shotgun.
Watch the full conversation via the player above.
Go here for Struts tour dates and more information about the new album, Pretty Vicious.
Check out the official music video for "Pretty Vicious" via the player below.
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