Back in July, industrial hip-hop duo Guerrilla Ghost dialed its outrage up to 11 with the release of The Fool, the group’s latest batch of politically-pointed compositions. No doubt re-energized following a “self-imposed slowdown” in recent years, the group composed of vocalist Bad Graphics Ghost and producer Tron Jovi continued work on another 2025 release with a decidedly different artistic direction.
On Saturday, September 13, Guerrilla Ghost will release an EP complete with five covers of songs by The Clash. The release of that EP, called The Future Is Unwritten, coincides with Guerrilla Ghost’s appearance at this year’s Strummerfest show at Club Garibaldi. In accordance with their involvement in the tribute concert that features a wide variety of Milwaukee projects honoring Joe Strummer, the pair re-imagined five tracks from The Clash and recorded them ahead of the show.
In true Guerrilla Ghost fashion, the songs they selected center on themes of unrest and resistance. “Police & Thieves” and “Guns Of Brixton” each evoke the spirit and sound of the original, while Tron Jovi’s production and Bad Graphics Ghost’s delivery manage to turn source material like “Know Your Rights” and “Bankrobber” on its head in exciting and unexpected ways.
The main reason Guerrilla Ghost decided to take on this recording project and get involved in Strummerfest was Nate Rader. As one of Strummerfest’s organizers, Rader—who tragically passed away last month at the age of 51—had always encouraged the hip-hip duo to be part of the event, but it never aligned with their schedule. In recent years, Rader and Tron Jovi struck up a friendship, and Guerrilla Ghost was finally able to commit to playing this year’s installment.
“I’m so glad I got to know him better when we worked side by side renovating my basement studio. I remember telling my wife how much I enjoyed hanging with him and that I was going to make a point to link with him every few weeks,” Tron Jovi says. “I did get to hang out with him a few times since we finished the project, but I wish we had more time.”
Strummerfest MKE 2025 will take place at Club Garibaldi on Saturday, September 13 at 7 p.m. (6 p.m. doors). The show will feature Joe Strummer-inspired performances by The Quilz, Black Belt Theatre, The Dirty Sweet, Guerrilla Ghost, Electricity Kills, M545, Sarah Lynn Huss, The Mod Violets, and Andrew David Weber Band. You can get tickets HERE or pay at the door. You can also hear some live renditions of songs from The Future Is Unwritten when Guerrilla Ghost performs on tonight’s installment of WMSE’s Local/Live from 6-7 p.m.
