Airborne Toxic Event Condemn Drone Bombings in 'Wedding' Song

Although Airborne Toxic Event's 2008 debut album is entirely made up of what frontman and songwriter Mikel Jollett calls "sad songs about girls," the L.A. quintet shifted into politics with the release of 'Neda,' a track about an Iranian student who was shot during the country's electrion protests. Now, for the band's upcoming second LP, Jollett is once again writing about Middle Eastern controversies, this time taking on the US military's killing of innocent civilians.

"Every single song that made the record is autobiographical, except for one called 'Welcome to Your Wedding Day,' which is about that predator drone that mistakenly bombed that wedding in Afghanistan," Jollett tells Spinner, referring to this incident. "All those people died and then everyone was on the news like, 'I don't understand why they don't appreciate our presence.' That's not really autobiographical as much as it is about how it's stupid to think people would be thankful for you bombing them."

While some artists might be wary of interspersing their political beliefs with songs about relationships, Jollett has no such reservations.

"I don't give a f---," he says. "A rock band doing political songs, every great rock band that I have ever admired did it, from Bob Dylan to Leonard Cohen to John Lennon to Paul Simon to Radiohead to U2. Go up there. Say what you mean. Be mad. You're a f---ing rock band."

"I'll tell people that that's what it's about," he continues. "I want that to be like the opening line of the press kit. ''Welcome to Your Wedding Day' is about an American predator drone bombing an Afghanistan wedding and the hypocrisy of expecting people to be thankful for foreign forces occupying their land and how ridiculous this is.' But people are like ''Wedding Day,' is this a song about getting married?' No! It's a song about being pissed off because your kids died in a f---ing bombing."

Of course, Jollett realizes that no matter what, some people will accuse him of being unpatriotic.

"I hope people get that," he says. "There are people who'll be like 'What are you, going against America?' That's just stupid. You've got to hold the country accountable."

The Airborne Toxic Event's as-yet-untitled second album is due in early 2011 from Island. The band's performance CD/DVD, 'All I Ever Wanted: Live From the Walt Disney Concert Hall,' is out now.