Denver-based Indigenous punk band Dead Pioneers continue sharpening their voice with the release of “Freedom Means Something,” a standalone single recorded during the sessions for ‘PO$T AMERICAN’ but held back until now. Built on their signature fusion of spoken word intensity, hypnotic post-rock tension, and punk urgency, the track captures a level of rage and clarity that feels immediate and unfiltered. Though written over a year ago, the song lands squarely in the present, reflecting the fear, anger, and fallout surrounding political decisions in the United States. Frontman Gregg Deal explains the song was left off the album for sequencing reasons rather than strength, making its release now a deliberate and timely choice.
“Freedom Means Something” stands as one of the band’s most direct and confrontational statements, closing with lyrics that refuse comfort or neutrality. The accompanying video underscores that intensity, pairing stark visuals with the song’s uncompromising message. Dead Pioneers emerged as a musical extension of Deal’s performance art practice, translating his work around Indigenous identity, resistance, and historical reckoning into sound. Completed by Josh Rivera and Abe Brennan on guitars, Lee Tesche of Algiers on bass, and Shane Zweygardt on drums, the band channel punk’s raw force into music that speaks plainly, hits hard, and insists on being heard.