For more than two decades, Liberty & Justice and Die Young have existed in overlapping circles of Texas hardcore, connected by shared history, friendship, and a deeply rooted commitment to punk’s political and DIY foundations. This spring, that long-running connection is finally documented in physical form with a forthcoming split 7-inch.
The split features both bands tackling Leonard Cohen’s “The Future” on Side A, with Side B rounded out by Liberty & Justice’s “Oxygen Tank” and Die Young’s “Revolutionary Faith.” While Liberty & Justice and Die Young occupy different sonic spaces within hardcore, the release highlights how closely aligned they are in ethos, intent, and urgency.
Die Young vocalist Daniel Austin tells No Echo the idea came together naturally, driven by years of mutual respect. “[Liberty & Justice vocalist] Ryan [Taylor] always repping Die Young so much has meant a lot to me,” Austin explains. “I think he’s one of the people that truly gets us, and I think Liberty & Justice is one of the bands right now that represents what I love most about punk and hardcore.” Austin adds that with both bands active again, the split simply felt fun and obvious. “When I pitched the idea to Ryan, he said, ‘You don’t even have to ask.’”
For Liberty & Justice vocalist Ryan Taylor, the connection runs deep. “I’ve known Daniel since I was 15, and over the years he’s been a dear friend and mentor to me,” Taylor says. “Die Young is easily one of the best modern hardcore bands and represent everything I love about hardcore. I have Die Young lyrics tattooed on me, so when the idea of doing a split together came up, it was a no-brainer.”
While Liberty & Justice and Die Young don’t share the same sonic blueprint, both vocalists emphasize that the bands are aligned in spirit. “Die Young and L&J may not sound like the same kind of punk or hardcore band, but at heart, we share the same kind of DIY values,” Austin says. “We put a lot into our lyrics. We emphasize what is being said because we believe that’s an important foundation of punk — to speak freely, to think openly, to have dialogue, to foster community.”
Taylor agrees, framing the split as a meeting of shared politics rather than shared riffs. “Sonically, we may not be the same, but we are certainly on similar wavelengths politically and socially,” he says. “I’ve always appreciated the well-educated fuck-you gusto approach that Die Young has taken over the years.”
On Side B of the forthcoming split, Liberty & Justice contribute “Oxygen Tank,” which Taylor says came together almost by accident. “Austin from Haywire randomly texted me this song he mapped out and said, ‘I was gonna use this for Haywire, but I think it fits more with Liberty & Justice,’” Taylor recalls. “As soon as I heard it, I thought it was the perfect hardcore-inspired jam to put on the split. So we put our stank on it.”
Die Young and Liberty & Justice's shared history stretches back to the late ’90s. Austin recalls first meeting Taylor when he was still a teenager running a distro table at shows. “From there, we ended up playing in bands that shared the stage a lot,” he says, citing Ten Crowns and Die Young touring together in the early 2000s. Taylor remembers those days fondly — and not without humor. “One time, my old band Ten Crowns did a southwest tour with Die Young, and we had van trouble in New Mexico,” he laughs. “Instead of letting us hop in the van with them, they just left us. Dear friends since then.”
The most unexpected element of the split is both bands covering Leonard Cohen’s “The Future,” a song far removed from traditional hardcore canon. Austin explains that more obvious Cohen songs didn’t feel right. “If everyone will just go read the lyrics to the original version of ‘The Future,’ goddamn, it’s just a conceptually heavy song that is as relevant as ever to what’s happening in our world right now,” he says. “It’s prophetic, and to me, it’s as confrontational as the best hardcore songs around.”
Austin adds that the structure of the song made collaboration essential. “There are so many verses, I felt it would be good to trade off with another vocalist to keep things interesting,” he explains. “When I sent Ryan the first demos, I think he was more floored than I expected, so we knew we were on to something.” The Cohen cover will remain exclusive to the vinyl until its release on April 3.
Taylor says the song resonated on a personal level. “Lyrically, ‘The Future’ sums up so many personal conversations Daniel and I have had over the years,” he says. “We both love Leonard Cohen, and once Daniel suggested it, it seemed like the best fit for us to do.”
Die Young’s “Revolutionary Faith” was written specifically with the split in mind. “I wanted to contribute an original Die Young song that wouldn’t be too much of an odd duck when paired with Liberty & Justice’s style,” Austin explains.
“Musically, it’s a very British-inspired Die Young song, taking cues from Judas Priest and Motörhead.” Lyrically, however, it remains confrontational. “It’s about exploring the psychology of a suicide bomber, or anyone who kills in the name of a faith,” he says. “If it feels ugly, we want to go there.”
***
Pre-orders for the Liberty & Justice x Die Young split 7" begin on February 12th via Immigrant Sun Records (US) and Contra Records (EU).
Tagged: die young, liberty and justice
