Militarie Gun: "We've not had a moment off since the record came out"

Riding high on a wave of acclaim, MILITARIE GUN are plotting their next moves.

Words: Ali Shutler.
Photos: Frances Beach.

"We're very willing to be in conflict," says Militarie Gun vocalist Ian Shelton. Today, he's gearing up to play a show at Reading Festival, a place where hardcore has become increasingly rare over the years, but it's not like his music follows the rules of the scene either. "If you didn't know that we came from the hardcore scene, I don't think you'd necessarily call us a hardcore band," he explains. "We are more aggressive than a lot of the other bands playing today, but the foundation of rock music is aggression. I guess we'll see what people make of it," he grins.

Since the release of their debut album 'Life Under The Gun' last year, Militarie Gun have quickly discovered a whole new audience. Driven by aggression but wrapped around big anthemic hooks, the album has seen the band crossover beyond the DIY punk scene where they first cut their teeth. "We've not had a moment off since the record came out; it's just been twelve months of constantly moving," Ian offers. As well as touring the album, they've also recorded the song 'Gun Under The Gun' for Post Malone's collab with wrestling game WWE 2K24 and released a selection of reworked 'Life Under The Gun' tracks featuring Manchester Orchestra, Bully, and Mannequin Pussy. "It's been awesome to experiment, try stuff and unpack those songs in a new way," says Ian.

It does mean that the band haven't had much time to reflect on their breakout year, but playing a festival like Reading for the first time is a reminder that things are progressing. "It's a case of knowing you're farther than you were but still being far from where you want to be," he explains. The band want to push things even further. "We're just really focused on the next thing. Any time we have off between shows, we're in the studio demoing, so that's where my head is at right now."

Despite how big things have got with 'Life Under The Gun', the band aren't worried about living up to what's come before. "It's never about chasing expectations," says Ian, with the band working on this new material long before their debut was even released. "That way, it's just about what my interests are. We try to stay far ahead of what the audience hears, so the music remains untainted by those feedback loops," he says. "I never intend on doing the same thing twice."