2021.09.24 - Press Release - Guns N' Roses Release New Song "Hard Skool" (& related articles)

GUNS N’ ROSES RELEASE NEW SONG “HARD SKOOL”

Santa Monica, California, September 24, 2021 - Today, multi-platinum selling rock band Guns N’ Roses release new song “Hard Skool.” “Hard Skool” follows last months’ surprise release of the song “ABSUЯD.” Written by Axl Rose and co-produced by Axl Rose and Caram Costanzo, “Hard Skool” is available now at all digital retailers via Geffen Records. Watch the visualizer for “Hard Skool” HERE.

Guns N’ Roses are currently on a massive stadium and arena tour wrapping up the U.S. leg with upcoming dates in Baltimore, MD, Raleigh, NC and two nights at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, FL. For a complete list of tour dates visit www.gunsnroses.com. “Hard Skool” merch and music will be available for pre-order at www.gunsnroses.com. Music will be available in the following formats: 7in vinyl, cassette and CD”

Following the group’s 1985 formation, Guns N’ Roses injected unbridled, unrivaled, and unstoppable attitude into the bludgeoning Los Angeles rock scene. The Spirit went on to captivate the entire world with the release of their 1987 debut Appetite For Destruction. In 1991, the seven-time platinum Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II occupies the top two spots of the Billboard Top 200 upon release.

Loudwire, same date:

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Guns N’ Roses Debut Another New Reunion Song ‘Hard Skool’

The Guns N' Roses reunion with Slash and Duff McKagan has yielded another new song, "Hard Skool," just weeks after the band debuted "Absurd," a reworked version of a previously unreleased song "Silkworms" from the early 2000s.

As was the case for "Absurd," "Hard Skool" was culled from leftovers from the lengthy Chinese Democracy writing sessions when both Slash and McKagan were not a part of the band. Fans will certainly recognize some elements of the track from the leaked versions that had been floating around the internet prior to the official release, but now it's been given a boost with the unmistakable presence of the pair of icons who rejoined in 2016.

The release of "Hard Skool" felt inevitable once footage of the band rehearsing the song during soundcheck, shot by Slash's girlfriend Meegan Hodges, was uploaded to the guitarist's TikTok account. A similar sort of tease came when Guns N' Roses debuted "Absurd" live before the studio version of the song was released worldwide, generating tons of buzz about the arrival of long-discussed new material.

It's still not clear what other intentions Guns N' Roses have with new music and whether this is all leading up to an album announcement, perhaps one that will include newly written songs rather than further mining the archives.

https://loudwire.com/guns-n-roses-hard-skool-song-lyrics/

Billboard, same date:

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Guns N’ Roses Rock Out on New Release ‘Hard Skool’: Stream It Now

“Hard Skool” is both a return to the school of hard knocks, and old-school Gunners. And just for fun, the intro features the sound of a school bell.

By Lars Brandle

Guns N’ Roses give a schooling on hard rock with their latest single, “Hard Skool.”

Arriving late Thursday just as the GN’R show hit the road, “Hard Skool” is both a return to the school of hard knocks, and old-school Gunners. And just for fun, the intro features the sound of a school bell.

Originally bearing the working title “Jackie Chan,” “Hard Skool” is a studio recording of a previously unreleased effort from the 2008 Chinese Democracy era.

It’s a flat-out, no-mucking-around rock number, peppered with smoking guitar licks. On it, Axl Rose sings: “But you had to play it cool, had to do it your way/Had to be a fool, had to throw it all away/Too hard school and you thought you were here to stay/ If that were true, it wouldn’t matter anyway.”

For a band with a reputation of keeping their fans waiting, GN’R is in a groove. “Hard Skool” is their second release in as many months, following the release of “Absurd,” also a revamp of an unreleased song from the Chinese Democracy era.

On the latest record, Rose is listed as co-producer alongside Chinese Democracy co-producer Caram Costanzo. Seven co-writers worked on the release, just the second since the return of original members Slash and Duff McKagan in 2016 for the group’s long-running Not in This Lifetime trek.

The new track coincides with the start of the band’s North America tour Thursday (Sept. 23) at Schottenstein Center in Columbus, OH.

https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/guns-n-roses-hard-skool-1548-9634795/

NME, same date:

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Guns N’ Roses return with new song ‘Hard Skool’

The track is lifted from the sessions for 2008's 'Chinese Democracy'

By Will Richards

After teasing the song for the past few weeks, Guns N’ Roses have returned with new song ‘Hard Skool’ – check it out below.

The track, which is the band’s second of 2021, was originally recorded during the sessions for the band’s notorious 2008 album ‘Chinese Democracy’.

Ahead of the release of the song, guitarist Slash posted a video of himself rehearsing the new song at a soundcheck in Chicago.

Rumours of the new song’s imminent release began to circulate last week, after a fan was reportedly told about it by frontman Axl Rose when the pair met backstage at a recent show in Atlantic City.

Initially minted with the working title ‘Jackie Chan’, the track was recorded during sessions for Guns N’ Roses’ notorious 2008 album ‘Chinese Democracy’, but never made the album. Short clips of the song have since been posted online, and a full version leaked in 2019.

‘Hard Skool’ is the band’s second track of 2021, following the single ‘Absurd’ in August. The band debuted ‘Absurd’ – a reworking of another ‘Chinese Democracy’ outtake called ‘Silkworms’ – during a show in Boston that took place a few days before it was officially released.

In other Guns N’ Roses news, the band recently celebrated a new milestone for their 1998 classic ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’, with the track surpassing a billion streams on Spotify last month. In July, they launched an official range of bongs and smoking accessories.

https://www.nme.com/news/music/guns-n-roses-return-with-new-song-hard-skool-3054124

An official lyric video was released in December. Blabbermout, Dec. 3, 2021:

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Guns N’ Roses Shares Official Lyric Video For New Song 'Hard Skool'

Guns N’ Roses has released the official lyric video for its new song "Hard Skool". Written by singer Axl Rose and co-produced by Rose and Caram Costanzo, the track, which had the working title "Jackie Chan", was originally recorded during GN'R's "Chinese Democracy" era but was eventually omitted from that album. Short clips of the song were later posted online and a full version was leaked in August 2019. More recently, the partially reunited classic lineup of Guns N’ Roses rehearsed the track during soundcheck at several concerts on the band's summer 2021 tour.

Rumors of the new song's imminent release began to circulate in early September after a fan was reportedly told about it by Rose when they met backstage at a recent show in Atlantic City.

On "Hard Skool", Axl sings: "But you had to play it cool, had to do it your way/Had to be a fool, had to throw it all away/Too hard school and you thought you were here to stay/ If that were true, it wouldn't matter anyway."

"Hard Skool" is the title track of a new Guns N' Roses four-song EP which will be released on February 25, 2022. The effort, which is exclusive to the Guns N’ Roses official store, contains the two new songs the band released in August and September — "Hard Skool" and "Absurd" (stylized as "ABSUЯD") — as well as live versions of "Don't Cry" and "You're Crazy".

"Hard Skool" EP track listing:

01. Hard Skool
02. ABSUЯD
03. Don't Cry (Live)
04. You're Crazy (Live)

Guns N’ Roses performed "Hard Skool" live for the first time during the September 26 concert at Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, Maryland.

"This is something about lower education," Rose told the audience before launching into the track.

"Absurd", a reworked version of a previously unreleased track called "Silkworms", came out on August 6, three days after the band performed the tune live for the first time during its concert at Boston's Fenway Park.

Guns N’ Roses last performed "Silkworms", which was also reportedly written during the "Chinese Democracy" sessions, in 2001.

The band is now said to be working on a new studio album — the first under the Guns banner since "Chinese Democracy" and the first to feature Rose, guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan since 1993.

https://blabbermouth.net/news/guns-n-roses-shares-official-lyric-video-for-new-song-hard-skool