Militarie Gun’s Ian Shelton on the Making of Post Malone’s WWE Theme Song – New Noise Magazine

In an unexpected yet exciting crossover Ian Shelton, the lead singer of the punk band Military weaponrecently discussed their latest project with New Noise Magazine—Creating a theme song for a music superstar Post Malone’s new character in the upcoming WWE video game, Scheduled for release on June 26, this collaboration is a significant milestone for the band and reflects their ability to seamlessly blend genres and break new ground in the music industry.

Militarie Gun are steadily on the rise in the punk scene and are known for their raw energy and distinctive sound. Founded in spring 2020 by Ian Shelton, the band quickly gained a loyal following with their relentless touring and dynamic performances. Their unique style caught the attention of Post Malone and led to a surprising and fruitful collaboration.

Post Malone approached Shelton with an urgent request. “Post needed a wrestling intro and he needed it within the next 24 hours,” Shelton recalls. “So I spent the day working on a song. I was originally going to send him three options, but then I decided to write the one I thought was the best. Luckily, he was excited.”

The song titled “Gun Under the Gun” is inspired by iconic wrestling anthems. Post Malone wanted a song similar to Motorhead‘s legendary wrestling intro. Shelton explains, “I focused on finding iconic elements and figuring out how to make it my own. A wrestling intro has to start big and iconic, get more aggressive, and then get harder. That’s how the song ended up being – starting big and spacey, then getting more aggressive, and finally halfway through for an all-out brawl.”

Shelton’s enthusiasm for the project is palpable. “It’s such a strange crossover and an even stranger song to accompany such a crossover,” he says. “It’s a lot of fun to get it out into the world and see what people think of it.”

This collaboration also underlines the mutual respect and admiration between Militarie Gun and Post Malone. Shelton recalls how he discovered that Post Malone was a fan: “I got a text from his photographer, Adam DeGross, They said Post sang our song ‘Do It Faster.’ Then it turned into an invitation to do one of their shows in Europe. That’s how the video of Post and I singing ‘Do It Faster’ came about.”

The partnership shows the two artists’ shared ethic. “We both see everything as an influence,” Shelton notes. “Post’s move into country music shows that any genre can be part of his music. Likewise, any sound can be a Militarie Gun song as long as my voice is in it. We’re both open to any music.”

Shelton’s wrestling and video game background gives this project a personal touch. “I loved wrestling as a kid and had a photo with my wrestling toys around me,” he says. “Video games have always been a part of my life, like Grand Theft Auto, but I never did much with them.”

A song for a WWE Video game feels like a full-circle moment for Shelton. “It’s surreal and exciting. It’s fun to see people’s reactions in the comments to every aspect of it,” he says.

Despite some criticism from fans who questioned why Post Malone didn’t use one of his own tracks, Shelton stands by his decision. “It makes sense. He wanted something that sounded like a wrestling intro, something aggressive that his own catalog doesn’t necessarily have. He gave us the chance because he believes in us.”

There is a lot of anticipation for the game and Militarie Gun plans to enjoy it on tour. “We made a skin for me in the game, so we’re going to do a match post against me,” reveals Shelton.

As for the song’s future, Shelton is looking forward to its live debut. “We haven’t played it yet, but we plan to when we play in LA. We wanted to wait until it’s out so it doesn’t seem random. We’re going to start practicing it now.”

Additionally, fans can look forward to streaming Gun Under the Gun on release day. “It will be out on our streaming platforms the day the DLC pack is released, which is Wednesday (June 26, 2024). People will be able to find it through us. It will be fun to see people’s reactions.”

Militarie Gun’s tour schedule is packed with shows in Australia, California and major festivals such as Lollapalooza. “When we come back from Australia, we’ll do a weekend in California, then Lollapalooza festivals and then back to Europe with Manchester Orchestra and another tour that has not yet been announced.”

Despite their busy schedule, Militarie Gun continues to create new music. “We’re releasing another song on July 17th, and we’ve been writing tirelessly for almost two years. We’re about to start focusing on the next album and hope to record it early next year.”

Shelton also thanks Post Malone for his support. “We’re really grateful for Post’s continued support. The fact that he’s actively helping to make the band bigger is really cool. We’re excited to be here and do something crazy together.”

As Militarie Gun prepares for their international tour, their collaboration with Post Malone is a significant achievement that further cements their place in the music industry. Fans eagerly await the release of “Gun Under the Gun” and the new WWE video game and are excited to see how this unique partnership develops.

All images of Post Malone courtesy of WWE Games. All images of Militarie Gun by Rose Eden.