Tom Morello has never stopped turning outrage into electricity. His new single, “Pretend You Remember Me,” is protest rock stripped to its emotional core — a song born from the immigration raids that scarred Los Angeles during the Trump years.
“Music is one piece on a chessboard with many pieces,” Morello says. “Each of us — anyone who doesn’t like the rising fascist tide — needs to stand up for what we believe in. I saw families being torn apart and joined tens of thousands in the streets to protest. Then I did what I do — I wrote a song that could go beyond the streets.”
Told from the perspective of a mother separated from her child, the track’s heartbreak lingers long after its last chord. “Before she goes to sleep each night, the prayer she whispers is that her daughter will at least pretend to remember her,” he explains. “It’s trying to put a human face on a broader violent tragedy.”
That empathy fuels Morello’s next chapter. He’s finishing what he calls “the first Tom Morello rock solo album” — a return to towering riffs after years of genre detours. “Big, huge Morellian riffs, some Darkness on the Edge of Town songwriting,” he says. “I even poached some of my son Roman’s riffs.”
Roman Morello, only 14, is already shredding on his own singles, “One Last Dance” and “Soldier in the Army of Love.” “He started playing during the pandemic and has that fire I remember,” Tom says proudly. “You don’t have to ask that kid to practice four hours a day — he’s doing it right now. I’m now relegated to being the rhythm guitar player in my own family.”
That mix of activism and family carries into his upcoming Canadian trek, dubbed ‘A Night of Stories and Music.’ The tour will blend songs, storytelling, and guitar heroics. “People who’ve been fans of any part of my work — Rage, Audioslave, solo stuff — can expect funny stories, inspiring stories, tragic stories, and a lot of shredding,” he says. “Originally it was going to be an acoustic tour, but I decided I can’t go to Canada without my electric guitar.”
Morello laughs as he remembers Ozzy Osbourne almost blowing him up with stage pyro at Voodoo Fest — a reminder that even protest anthems can use a punch line. Yet his focus remains clear. “When I play ‘Pretend You Remember Me’ live, it’s not just a protest song,” he says. “It’s a human story. I want audiences to feel that connection.”
Canada, he adds, has always met him with open arms. “We did an electric tour across Canada this summer, and I can’t wait to get back up there,” he says. “Hats off to all the Canadian fans.”
He grins before signing off — half philosopher, half punk prophet. “I can’t wait to play these songs for people who still believe music can matter,” Morello says. “If you’re making art everyone can agree on, you’re probably making pretty shitty art.”
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