SERJ TANKIAN And TOM MORELLO Talk Inspiration For New Collaborative Single 'Adjourn It': 'We Have To Learn How To Stand Up To Fascism In The Right Way'

In the seven-minute video below, Tom Morello, SYSTEM OF A DOWN singer Serj Tankian and the RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist's 15-year-old son, Roman Morello, discuss the making of their new collaborative single, "Adjourn It". Tom said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "What inspired us to create the song together, the 'Adjourn It' song together, were two things. One is my longstanding relationship with Serj. We've worked on a number of songs through the years, played many shows together through the years, have had political organizations together. Also, Roman Morello's my kid, and so he's trapped at home, and I steal his riffs to make songs all the time, as I have done with the song 'Adjourn It'.'

Roman said: "When he first showed me the song, I was, like, 'Wait a second. That kind of sounds familiar. Where'd you get that riff?' And it turns out he stole it from my voice memos on my computer. But it's just an honor to be part of this project. And with the political message, I think they said it great. And it's just really great to be part of this.

"Back when I was littler, I didn't really know what my dad did for work," Roman added. "When I first actually saw the effect that he had on people and the effect that he had on music, I really started to take inspiration from him and really research into what he does and learn what he's done in the past and the political messages that he conveys to millions of people around the world."

Tom continued: "The idea to create a song like this came up during the DHS and ICE raids in Los Angeles, when the streets of L.A. were being terrorized by Gestapo-like tactics, people combing through the neighborhoods, businesses having to shut down, children being abducted from school — an absolute reign of terror on our city. And I thought, 'We have to do what we can while we can with what we can.' And with us, that's making music."

Serj chimed in: "Like [Tom] said, we've done a lot of songs together, a lot of projects, and been friends for a long time. And this disturbed all of us. It's still disturbing all of us, the kind of tactics that have been used by the administration in cracking down on families, separating families, and children without parents. I mean, I read that there's 27,000 children whose parents have been deported. And it's really a trauma for this country. And we have to learn how to deal with these things the right way. We have to learn how to stand up to fascism in the right way. And so this is a great way for us to do. This is what we do. We do music."

Tom explained: "Roman has been going to protests with his brother Rhoads and our family since they were very, very little. It's been a part of the fabric of our lives. It's just sort of what we do. And so it's very natural that it should come into our music as well.

"One thing I will say about Roman here is he is a tremendously talented guitar player," Tom added. "He started playing during the pandemic. I didn't start playing until I was 17 years old. He started playing at — what? — eight or nine, something like that, and really advanced quickly. He's got a natural ability. I had to fight hard for every scrap of it. He seems to be able to do it very, very naturally. But the thing that was the big surprise was he was able to write riffs that felt like they had the Morello DNA in them, but they're not riffs that I would have thought of. So it's like having a great bandmate who you kind of go, like, 'That's a kick-ass riff. It sounds kind of like something I should've thought of.' [Laughs] And that was very much the case with — the main riff in the song 'Adjourn It' is one that was written by Roman Morello."

Clips from the film "Salt Of The Earth" (1954) are woven throughout the "Adjourn It" video to reflect the song's theme of resistance in the face of prejudice and injustice. The film is based on a true story of Mexican-American miners fighting against labor exploitation, racism, and institutional oppression, and was made by three Hollywood executives blacklisted for their political beliefs. It stars real zinc miners and was one of the first ever truly independent films. "Salt Of The Earth" was a powerful act of defiance in its time and more than half a century later, its themes continue to echo through today's political climate. "Adjourn It" channels the defiant legacy of the film reinforcing the importance of solidarity in bringing people together against fear and division.

Morello is kicking off a summer 2026 European tour with festival appearances at Sweden Rock Festival on June 4, Rock Im Park on June 5 and Rock Am Ring on June 6. There are also stops at Nova Rock on June 11, Rock For People on June 12 and Download on June 14. Other stops include Graspop Metal Meeting on June 18, Hellfest on June 20 and Pinkpop on June 21. Morello's 2026 touring schedule wraps up with Newport Folk on July 26, Louder Than Life on September 19 and Power To The People on October 3.

Morello has a long history of organizing activism-oriented events over three decades and continues to be a leading voice for social justice causes and human rights across the country and around the world. In addition to his solo work with THE NIGHTWATCHMAN and his role in RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and AUDIOSLAVE, Morello remains one of modern rock's most influential guitarists and outspoken activists.

Grammy-winning, Harvard-educated, Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame- and Metal Hall Of Fame-inducted artist, songwriter, and activist Tom Morello is living proof of the transformative power of rock'n'roll. Known for his innovative guitar work and socially conscious songwriting, Morello rose to prominence as a founding member of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and AUDIOSLAVE — two groundbreaking bands responsible for multiple Grammy Awards and more than 30 million albums sold worldwide. Rolling Stone named him No. 18 on its "Greatest Guitar Players Of All Time" list, and his career has spanned music, activism, film, theater, graphic novels, radio, television, and philanthropy. Whether on stage, at rallies, or on picket lines, Morello continues to use music as a force for unity and change.