The band has begun to seek after more politically and socially challenging lyrics as time progresses, responding to current events such as the song " Help Is On The Way" and its use of support for victims of the 2011 TÅhoku earthquake and tsunami. While Rise Against's most popular songs are not political, songs such as " Swing Life Away" and " Make It Stop" have risen to prominence as McIlrath seeks to speak to a generation that he believes is lacking conviction towards their world, as explained throughout the storytelling narrative of the band's albums.
After entering the music scene, though, he began to feel a strong connection towards his convictions, specifically animal and human rights. Having not grown up in a political family, McIlrath says that he was never particularly involved until he began playing punk rock. These beliefs started to get integrated into the music most prominently after the release of The Sufferer & The Witness, when McIlrath said that he sought to make a difference in the world he lives in as opposed to being one of the bands in the punk/hardcore scene today that are saying anything important". The original goal of the band was only to create music, never seen as a long-term group until the band came to a realization of similar activist beliefs that led McIlrath to describe music as a vessel for change. When the band first began, McIlrath stated how they weren't seeking to gather such a large audience in their pursuit for originality and social justice that defined them as the "black sheep" of punk rock. Schambra also contributed backing vocals on Rise Against's album The Sufferer & the Witness for the songs "The Approaching Curve", "Roadside", and the b-side "But Tonight We Dance". The Killing Tree has not produced any music or toured since 2004, but contributed their previously unreleased song "Dressed to Fuck" on the 2006 Thick Records compilation album Hair: Chicago Punk Cuts, which featured Emily Schambra (of Holy Roman Empire) as guest vocals on the song. During the early years of the band, all members used pseudonyms (Tim's being James Kaspar) out of concern for it. McIlrath has played in his metalcore side project The Killing Tree along with former Rise Against guitarist Todd Mohney and former Baxter and Holy Roman Empire bassist, Geoff Reu. After more touring (including a European tour and spots on the Vans Warped tour), the band went back to the studio and recorded their fourth album The Sufferer & the Witness, which included four singles (" Ready to Fall, " Prayer of the Refugee", " The Good Left Undone", and "Behind Closed Doors".) With the release of the singles " Give It All", " Swing Life Away", and " Life Less Frightening", Rise Against became more popular with mainstream fans, but still kept their underground sensibility. In order to replace him, former Reach the Sky guitarist Chris Chasse joined in 2004 and they released their Geffen debut Siren Song of the Counter Culture. steadily that year, though by the end of it, Mohney left. Later that year they released their second album Revolutions per Minute which was greeted with warm success. Precision left due to arguments with the band, and Todd Mohney filled his role. They officially recorded their debut album The Unraveling on Fat Wreck Chords in 2001. Drummer Brandon Barnes did not join until 2001 it was at the same time the band was renamed Rise Against. Precision), and drummer Toni Tintari under the name 'Transistor Revolt'. In 1999, Tim McIlrath formed the band that would become Rise Against with former 88 Fingers Louie bassist, Joe Principe, guitarist Dan Precision (A.K.A.
McIlrath playing at Sziget Festival in Budapest in 2011 McIlrath has a condition called heterochromia, where his left eye is blue and his right eye is hazel. It was at this time that Transistor Revolt was formed and McIlrath left college. Principe asked McIlrath to sing over a few tracks that he and Dan Wleklinski had recorded. In his junior year, he met Joe Principe at a Sick of It All concert. This was also the set for the music video, " Make It Stop (September's Children)." In college ( Northeastern Illinois University), McIlrath majored in English and Sociology.
He attended Rolling Meadows High School in Rolling Meadows, IL. McIlrath was born in 1978 to Jim and Michelle McIlrath.