Ali and A.J. Gunshots can still be heard outside their Sacramento concert in 2022. The sisters had just finished their opening act. A touch of rhythm They were on a tour and were excited for the next stop as they were packing up before a show in San Francisco when suddenly they heard gunshots outside their tour bus.
“We immediately jumped out of our beds and fell to the floor. AJ and I knew it was a shooting because we grew up around guns,” says Allie Michaelka. Rolling Stone“It was terrifying. My husband wasn't on the bus, so I was worried he might get caught in the crossfire. It was a real scare for all of us.”
The group's crew and family were safe, and their trailer was the only thing damaged by bullets and shrapnel. But six people died that night and 12 were injured. The incident still haunts the sisters to this day.
On Thursday, the duo will visit the White House with the nonprofit March Fourth to advocate for the reinstatement of the federal assault weapons ban on the 20th anniversary of its expiration. The duo will also release “Sirens,” a moving song they wrote about their experience surviving the shooting.
“We’ve always been so disturbed by the state of gun violence in America, and that made us personally even more motivated to get involved and do something about it,” says Ally. “I think writing the song was a real catharsis for both of us.”
As they release their heartbreaking video for “Sirens,” which was filmed at the scene of the shooting, Ali and AJ will visit the offices of Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL), Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA), and Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) to advocate for a ban on assault weapons. They will also stop by the White House for a briefing with the Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
“I know this is a hot topic politically, but it shouldn’t be,” Ali says. “This should be something we can all talk about openly and rationally because it affects everyone.”
“Assault weapons should not be in the hands of civilians,” AJ adds. “They are weapons of war. They always have been. That’s what they were designed for. I think most Americans would agree on that. So how come we haven’t come to an agreement to reimpose the embargo? I don’t know why.”
It took the sisters over a year to put pen to paper and write the poignant song that describes the deep emotions they felt: “Another day in America / Waiting for the change that will never come / Another day in America / A mother lying on the sidewalk next to her son.”
Allie and AJ's visit to the White House comes more than a week after four people were killed and seven students wounded by a shooter at a Georgia high school with an AR-15-style rifle. The rise in school shootings has Allie worried about her son's future.
“We can’t go on living like this,” Ali says. “The horror I feel when I send my son to school and get a phone call saying something has happened is unimaginable. My heart breaks.”
With Vice President Kamala Harris running for president, the duo is optimistic about the change that could come if she wins. They’re also excited to see so many young voters eager to cast their ballots this fall.
“We’re so excited about this election. I think we’re going to see a wave of activism that we haven’t seen since the Obama years, and that’s really exciting,” Allie says. “I think Kamala’s advocacy for trying to prevent gun violence across America has been inspiring. She’s been very vocal about it for a long time now.”
“We will never take away guns,” AJ adds. “The Second Amendment is fully protected. The problem here is that civilians are legally able to obtain an AR-15.”
Ally and AJ say “Sirens” will usher in their next era of music, and that their new chapter will include more personal stories in that vein. The sisters finished writing the album with producer Jonathan Wilson while Ally was pregnant.
“It feels like our next baby, and it’s coming out,” AJ says of the project, which is due out next year. “It’s so nice to start a new album cycle because you get to see the fans again and interact with the people we love. This song definitely starts a new wave for our music.”
