Just after celebrating 20 years together, legendary post-hardcore outfit Silverstein hit us with a standout, anthemic new single and video, ‘Bankrupt.’ Last year’s milestone marked two decades of relentlessly pushing themselves from their underground roots to becoming one of the most influential bands in their scene. As Silverstein set out on their official worldwide 20th Anniversary Tour to celebrate, the Covid-19 pandemic arrived, forcing them, along with so many others, to drop everything and take shelter back in their respective hometowns. As 2020 took a turn to be a horrible time for most, the band were hit with an onslaught of rage as they watched the select few in elevated positions leverage their power, and opportunistically kick us while we were down.
Rage turned inspiration, Silverstein continued to write throughout lockdown, ‘Bankrupt’ being the first look into those sessions. The track proves the bands’ roots in punk are firm in place. Guitarist and songwriter Paul Marc explains: “I don’t know how to feel anything but rage anymore. The rich are getting richer and poor are getting poorer. Wages are stagnant, tuition costs are rising, jobs are being automated/off-shored, costs of a home are laughable in most major cities. The walls feel like they’re closing in and escape is starting to feel impossible. Two-faced leaders and greedy elected officials line their pockets while stripping funding for the programs that we actually need. What are we supposed to do now? Looking out for one another on a community level is good, but changing a crooked system is better.”