Even though they hail from rural Indiana, known more for cornfields than as a “Hot Bed” for Hard Rock and Metal music – the members of The Protest have embraced that American heartland work ethic and used their talent, drive and determination to bring the band’s music to a global audience. Positive energy is abundant in their live shows and is showcased in the new album “Legacy”, due out July 13th on Rockfest Records/Sony.
Their new single “What Else You Got” is a fist pumping anthem about never backing down and fighting on despite adversity – it’s sure to be used as a rallying theme song for college and pro sports in the near future. The song is the fastest rising of their career and has already climbed to #36 in just two weeks on the Mainstream Rock Indicator chart and #21 on the Billboard Christian Rock Chart. Previous singles “Rebel Static”, “Vicious Cycle”, and “Welcome to the Freakshow” have laid the groundwork for the band’s current radio success.
The “What Else You Got” video premiered @ AXS. Singer Josh Bramlett says “We hope that this song inspires the listeners to keep their heads up. In an age where the world tries to tear us all down, we extend this song as a rallying cry: An anthem to stand strong in the face of adversity. Trials and tribulations are inevitable – how we handle them is our choice. We can let them overpower us or we can use the fire inside to conquer them. We co-wrote this song with Josiah Prince (Disciple) and Jeremiah Jones“.
He continues: “The video was filmed by the wizard, Mr. Adam Shewmaker. The actual filming was full of adversity – it was shot in late February and it was COLD. The temperature was in the 20s (you can actually see our breath in the video!). We were leaving for tour in just a couple days. Re-shoots anytime soon would not have been an option, so we needed to get it right in the limited time we had at the location. We transformed this garage that housed semis into a video space. It was a humble setting, but we are very happy with the finished product. All in all Adam, some of our close friends and family who were volunteering, and the band spent 10 hours straight filming “What Else You Got”. We are very thankful for the amazing people involved. We hope everyone likes it and takes the words to heart!”
Brothers Josh and Jarob Bramlett met guitarists Adam Sadler and TJ Colwell while they were in high school, in small communities about an hour outside of Indianapolis. Josh & Jarob caught the Rock N’ Roll fever after hearing KISS “Alive” when they were in middle school: it inspired Josh to begin learning how to play guitar and sing, and Jarob grabbed the sticks and kept time on the drums. After hearing “Detroit Rock City” Adam knew that he wanted to learn how to play guitar and followed that dream all the way to Los Angeles, where he studied at Musicians Institute. TJ was inspired by Def Leppard’s two-pronged guitar attack and taught himself how to play, starting at the age of 13. They came together as The Protest in 2009 and released their first album “Game Changer” in 2012, which they supported with their first national tour. The band released their 2nd album, “Great Lengths” in 2014 and has been staying busy by playing across the US.
The Protest are “Road Warriors” in every sense of the term by playing more than 150 dates a year. They’ve expanded their reach by branching out internationally and have toured in Germany and Canada. The Protest have been direct support for Tesla, 12 Stones, Demon Hunter, Ashes Remain, and Righteous Vendetta, among others. They just wrapped up the Rockfest Tour and will continue playing live throughout the rest of 2018 into 2019, including some festival dates.
The Protest wants to bring a little hope and redemption to Rock N’ Roll. Says front man Josh Bramlett: “Just because the music is heavy doesn’t mean it can’t uplift people and encourage them. We have a desire to serve others and reach people around the world. We want fans leaving our shows feeling different – and better – than when they came in”.
Pre-order the album now at iTunes
More info – www.theprotestrocks.com
