Joe “Shithead” Keithley—frontman of Vancouver punk pioneers D.O.A. and bonafide local legend—has announced a new acoustic solo album, STAND, due out March 31. 

Keithley also shared the record’s first single: a rockabilly ripper called “Fentanyl Blues,” which refers to the ongoing drug poisoning crisis. The track is accompanied by a music video that shows Keithley playing with his band alongside shots of the city’s urban and green landscapes. 

"I was compelled to write this song as an outlet for the tragedy and grief the opioid crisis has caused,” Keithley said in a release. “It’s even sadder, if that's possible, when you realize that it grew because of corporate greed."

Keithley, of course, is no stranger to politically-charged music. Activism has always been at the centre of his work. 

Emerging in the late ‘70s in Vancouver’s underground, hardcore punk founders D.O.A. were well-known for their outspoken political views and rallied behind anti-racism, environmentalism, freedom of speech, women’s rights, and more societal issues in their lyrics and performances. The band is cited as being a heavy influence on Green Day, Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and the Offspring. 

In 2018, Keithley was elected to Burnaby’s city council as a member of the Burnaby Green Party. He was re-elected in 2022. 

Over the years, Keithley has organized and played at more than 300 benefit concerts and protests.

STAND is out March 31 via Sudden Death Records.