Pollstar (09/20/24) Pittman, Sarah
Indie pop-rock duo Aly & AJ had finished the first performance of their "A Touch of the Beat" tour's North American leg at Sacramento's Crest Theatre on April 3, 2022, when gunfire rang out. Six people were killed and a dozen were injured in the mass shooting, which reportedly occurred between rival gangs with Aly & AJ’s tour bus caught in the crossfire. Fortunately, no one onboard was hurt, but the psychological damage was done. The tragedy, though, has inspired Aly & AJ to use their platform to help prevent gun violence. The sisters released the single “Sirens,” which details their experience as survivors of a mass shooting, on Sept. 12 to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the federal assault weapons ban expiration -- a ban they've been lobbying to get reinstated. "[The mass shooting] is kind of a part of us now, and I think it will forever be in us," AJ Michalka remarks. "Because Aly and I get out a lot of our emotions cathartically through our music [recording “Sirens”] has really helped me personally, and I think playing it every night on stage live next year is also going to be really beneficial. . . . But we need to take it beyond just putting out a song – which is what we're currently trying to do."
Read the full story from Pollstar.