DC noise-punk trio Ekko Astral have been one of the loudest voices in music speaking out against the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people at the hands of Israel's extremist right-wing government, and they're not about to stop any time soon.

New single "pomegranate tree" draws on the Jewish American perspective of singer, bassist, and lyricist Jael Holzman and drummer Miri Tyler, making a howling not-in-our-name statement condemning Israel's weaponisation of grief and egregious conflation of Jewish values with the genocidal Zionist agenda.

As Tyler explains in a press release:

“It’s exhaustingly heartbreaking to watch a symbol of your childhood community transform into a symbol for genocide, or to watch people you used to respect defend the actions of an extremist right-wing government. Jael and I grew up Jewish in America. We were taught we had a 'homeland' that we had an obligation to. We were *not* taught about the human beings that lived there prior. We were taught to celebrate victories. We were taught simply that they hated us. We were taught that this violence was righteous. But there is no such thing as righteous genocide, and experts around the world agree – including Jewish survivors of the Holocaust – the violence being carried out by the IOF is indeed genocidal. And the fact that these atrocities are being carried out in the name of our faith, culture, and community – well, it's enough to keep us up at night.”

"pomegranate tree" expands Ekko Astral's musical palette, drawing influence from the desert blues of Tinariwen and DC rock icons Fugazi, and is tipped as a hint at where the band's "mascara mosh pit" sound might head next. It's also notable for being Ekko Astral's first release since shrinking down to the trio of Holzman, Tyler, and lead guitarist Liam Hughes. Bassist Guinevere Tully announced her departure from the band in July, and guitarist Sam Elmore followed suit in September.

"pomegranate tree" follows the June release of another protest song "holocaust remembrance day" and the band's celebrated debut album pink balloons, which landed in April. In an Instagram post celebrating the new release, the band wrote: "may this song be a testament to the last year of our band and a culmination of what we’ve achieved and experienced. we love guin and sam very much and wish them both the best."

The band have also shared a video co-directed by Holzman and John Lee featuring footage of Inside Washington journalist Eric Michael Garcia discussing the media’s litany of failures to cover the genocide. Watch it below:

Ekko Astral have just three more live dates lined up for 2024, kicking off next week in Baltimore. Details below:

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