New Music: Ryan Cassata x Jesediah x David Scott Stone – Blood is On Your Hands

Punky electroclash with a heartfelt, important political message, Ryan Cassata and his friends pull no punches on Blood is On Your Hands.

Written in response to the Club Q nightclub shooting in Colorado Springs in 2022, when five people were murdered and 25 others were injured, it looks at the imagined perspective of Daniel Aston, a 28-year-old trans man and drag king who was killed in the attack.

For Cassata, the song is a tribute to Ashton’s life and the bravery of the LGBTQ community – then and now. In the lyrics, Ryan also highlights Drea Norman, a trans woman who intervened during the shooting, capturing both tragedy and heroism in the lyrics: “I watched my best friends cry, as an angel stomped her heels, stripped the killer of his might.”

Cassata is joined by close friend and rapper Jesediah, who says about the song, “So much pain exists in the queer community, and not enough of us get to experience grace in the face of that turmoil. Ryan tapped me for this project, and I was so excited. This song is an anthem, a hard one but one nonetheless.”

Adds Cassata, “The chorus came first: ‘Blood is on your hands, we just came here to dance. Blood is on your hands, so why can’t we dance?’” For him, the song reflects not just on Ashton but also the threats faced by LGBTQ Americans on a daily basis.

The track was produced by David Scott Stone, who has collaborated with LCD Soundsystem, teaming up here with Cassata and Jesediah to deliver an urgent message with an irresistible dance groove.

Ryan Cassata is touring Europe right now, with dates in The Hague, Manchester, and London still to play. Ticket and venue details can be found on his Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram socials. Blood is On Your Hands is out now via Kill Rock Stars.

Header photo by Lucas Taylor