Sports Team comment on gun culture with new single 'Bang Bang Bang', following their US armed robbery incident

Sports Team have shared new single 'Bang Bang Bang', a track that reflects on gun culture in America.

The song's release comes after Sports Team were robbed at gunpoint on 3rd December during their US tour. The incident, which occurred in San Francisco's Bay Area while the band were getting coffee, saw an assailant brandishing a gun when the band attempted to intervene in the robbery of their tour van.

"We would tour America a lot, and you see the AR-15 logo used on coffee bags, hats, t shirts, bumper stickers," guitarist and lyricist Rob Knaggs explains. "There'd be racks with tourist souvenirs, a Mickey Mouse hat, pet rocks, some local landmark postcard, then a AR-15 magnet and that's where the seed of the lyrics came from. Then across the time we spent in America I was fleshing the lyrics out. There was a story I saw about NRA robocalls after the Newtown shooting, and it's horrific. The immediate PR damage control machine. Then you go and drink in bars. Particularly in smaller towns, and people would hear the accent and ask you about guns. Bring them out and want you to hold them, or look at them."

Speaking about the robbery incident, Knaggs adds: "I think what was shocking was how blasé people were. You're queuing for coffee. And then you're trying to negotiate somebody waving a pistol around. The staff come and lock the doors, tell you to step away from the windows. You're trying to barricade yourself in the toilet and they're still doing the squirty cream on the drinks. Anyway now it all feels a bit ridiculous. You're debating not putting the song out on the album, because it suddenly seems like some ridiculous stunt. Like it's embarrassing. Everybody is so kind. Strangers offering help. Some local mom has seen it on cable news and messages offering any help, or somewhere safe to wait and figure things out, and ultimately, you're fine."

'Bang Bang Bang' follows previous singles 'I'm In Love (Subaru)' and 'Condensation' from Sports Team's third album 'Boys These Days', due 23rd May.