ONLY HUMAN, the new album from 12 STONES, isn’t out for another couple of months (September 6 on the Executive Music Group label via Fontana/Universal), but the buzz is already growing. The first single, “Bulletproof,” has already been getting solid spins on Active Rock radio stations across the country weeks even before its official add date (June 28) including SiriusXM’s “Octane,” WIIL (Chicago), WBSX (Wilkes Barre), KDJE (Little Rock), WRXW (Jackson), KFRQ (McAllen) and KHTQ (Spokane). The song has quickly made its way into the Top 10 on CMW’s “Rock” chart, where it currently sits at #7.
ONLY HUMAN defines many of the qualities that transparently represent who Paul McCoy (vocals), Eric Weaver (guitar), Justin Rimer (guitar), Michael McManus (drums) are mentally, emotionally and spiritually. As guitarist Justin Rimer explains, “We all have inner struggles as humans and temptations in life. While we don’t always choose the right path the first time, we learn from our experiences and become stronger. We all make mistakes and fall short sometimes, but it is the art of learning from these experiences that makes all the difference.” Singer Paul McCoy adds, “The album title comes from knowing that we all eventually fall short of our expectations regardless of financial, emotional, physical well being. But in the same breath, we all strive to find a way to better ourselves. That’s human nature. There are always two sides to people. It’s all about realizing that we all bleed the same. We are ALL human.”
Another way the band is getting fans excited about ONLY HUMAN is their “I’m Like You” anti-bullying campaign, which recently launched on the band’s official website at http://www.12stones.com/imlikeyou/. 12 STONES is asking fans to share stories to help draw attention to this increasing problem among young people in the U.S. Some of those videos might end up in the official video for “Bulletproof,” along with footage the band’s asking fans to send in showing off their extreme sport skills. While fans wait for the final clip, they can check out a lyric video for “Bulletproof” that was recently released and can be seen here: http://youtu.be/inZtBXs-eHs.
The topic of anti-bullying hits a bit too close to home for singer Paul McCoy, who was harassed as a kid growing up in the New Orleans suburb of Mandeville, LA. As he explains on the website:
“As you might have heard the title of the new record is ONLY HUMAN, which has so many meanings behind it. You might have noticed that we have been asking a lot of personal questions lately on the site, and the response has been amazing and very touching. We want you all to know that we hear you, and that we care about what it is that you are going through in your everyday life. One of the topics that comes up again and again is the fact that people are being bullied. Bullying is now going to new extremes. Whether it’s verbal or physical, bullying is NOT ok. I too was bullied and know the pain that causes. So we wanted to create a place that you can come and share your story and hear the stories of others. A place that will not only help you but also help others that may be in a similar situation. You matter, and your story can make a difference or change the life of someone that is being bullied.
”If you or someone you know is being bullied, there are things you can do to stop it. And there are ways to get help in dealing with what you are going through. Share your story with us, by creating a video on YouTube and posting a video response titled ‘I’M LIKE YOU.’ Together we can stop bullying, after all, ‘I’M LIKE YOU!’”
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