Tracked live in the studio, frontman Fin Power delivers lyrics with his usual grit, ‘NEVER AGAIN’ isn’t just a song, it’s a statement. Thematically, the track dives into themes of breaking cycles, self-destruction, anger, and recovery. Power has been open about his journey through sobriety and the band’s difficult fallout from a major label experience. These personal experiences fuel the emotional core of ‘NEVER AGAIN’ and lend the track a raw, lived-in authenticity.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by STONE (@stoneliverpool)

Power drew inspiration from the anti-corporate spirit of Cyberpunk 2077, in particular, the theme of The Afterlife bar, where legends are born resisting oppressive forces. Similarly, “NEVER AGAIN” is punk rock with its eyes on a dystopian, anti-corporate future.

Critical reception has been enthusiastic. Clunk Magazine applauds the track as a “heavy free-for-all” blending hardcore and punk, with chaotic vocals and thrashing drums. When The Horn Blows hails its “brutally honest” message of self-destruction and frustration, praising its “beautiful balance between frustration and vulnerability”.

For a band known equally for live energy and emotional truth, ‘NEVER AGAIN’ lands squarely in their wheelhouse, it’s a stage-ready song made to be sung back in a packed venue. The title chant alone readies fans for the chaos of their upcoming festival season. STONE are set to hit Pukkelpop (Belgium) on August 15 and headline This Feeling By The Sea (UK) on August 30.

According to fan setlists on setlist.fm, during their performance on Aug 3 at Kendal Calling, they included ‘NEVER AGAIN’ along with other singles such as ‘Waste’, ‘Queen’, ‘My Thoughts Go’, ‘I Let Go’, and ‘Leave It Out’.

In this new era of creative freedom, STONE stand unapologetic and undiluted. ‘NEVER AGAIN’ is a bold reclamation of sound and self, signalling that the band is more purposeful than ever. As they shout ‘NEVER AGAIN’, they mean it.

The song is a punchy, urgent slapper of a single that dials you straight into a painstaking panic. The song’s video was created by Dave Crane and delves into the phenomenon of the; “false rockstar fantasy”. Have a listen to the latest offering from Stone down below:

The band’s Fin Power says that the video was informed by his issues and experiences with disassociation, stating; “‘Waste’ was written about being sick of people judging you without knowing anything about you. Opening lyric ‘you probably hate me’ refers to the fact that I started to find it easier to assume people disliked me from the outset, instead of being caught off-guard by negative energy. The chorus is about how the need to be liked or loved can become an almost obsession that is dangerous to my mental health.”

“The song’s middle eight section is inspired by a time where I felt so distorted in my own brain it was like I was in a video game – sat in the passenger seat of my own emotions. We produced the song with Al Groves (Bring Me The Horizon) and recorded the vocals in one take each time, running straight through the verses and choruses so that the anger and breathlessness was real and raw. We didn’t drown it In effects and the guitars were slightly under-tuned so that when I was raging my guitar, it would bend more into tuning (Al had a genius moment here).”

Having supported Yungblud for a number of dates, including two massive shows at Liverpool’s Mountford Hall. The band were more than ready to rise to the occasion, and stated dutifully; “Yungblud’s fans will be queuing from 10am, so we know there’s going to be a bunch of people dying to absorb new music, we’re going to cater for them. I’ve always said that I want to be an underground voice for the lost youth, and I feel like Yungblud is doing that on a much larger scale.”

Discussing the band’s future and what lies ahead for these challenging prospects, Power said elsewhere; “I just need to get in front of those crowds – it’s all about the live performance for us. Put me in a room with anyone and I will convert them all to fall in love with the band.”