Painted Shield - 4th of July

Painted Shield, consisting of Stone Gossard with Mason Jennings, Matt Chamberlain, and Brittany Davis has released their first new single of 2021, “4th of July.” The single tells of the moral injury experienced by many service members as they return home from conflicts abroad. From lead singer Mason, “[t]he lyrics to this song were inspired by the stories of friends of mine who have served in the military. It touches on the recovery work needed to integrate back into civilian life after being in conflict. It also touches on the fact that most of my friends who joined the military were coming from troubled homes and were looking to find a “way out” by joining. This song is about bringing these inner children home to get the love they never received, as well as sending love to the actual children affected by war around the world everyday. To me, the music reflects that inner and outer struggle, the acoustic guitar and melancholic folk melody mirror the simplicity of the child world while the electric guitar, organ, and drums slash, defend, and erupt and mirror the complexity of the adult world. There is a tension represented that I hope encapsulates and reflects the human struggle, the struggle for peace and love in the face of violence and fear." 

Compounding the complexity around this experience, service members are currently facing anxiety around the 17,000 Afghan interpreters and their families who aided U.S. troops and are now in danger from the Taliban as the US departs. It is critical the United States honors its commitment to these interpreters to bring them and their families out of danger. You can learn more from No One Left Behind which helps interpreters and their families resettle in the United States by providing legal services, visas, resettlement services, and more.  

Listen to Stone talk about helping combat interpreters here.

The video for “4th of July” is available here.