Exclusive: Aly and AJ feel like they belong after releasing new record, duo shares how their fans are asking fans to accept gun violence

Aly and AJ toured again after that releasing their new album, With love fromin March, and they’re feeling more energetic than ever.

“I’m thrilled. I feel like we’re where we belong. The music is so beautiful on stage and our band is crushing it every night. We’re doing better than we did last year which is crazy because we ‘ “We’ve hit some of these markets three times in one year. I’m grateful that fans want to come back so soon! I am proud of all of this. I feel the show as a collective is matched beautifully” Ali Michalka34, tells exclusively Morning honey while talking about how she and Michalka tooThe 32-year-old is calling on their fans to pledge against gun violence at their concert after they were shot in Sacramento, California in April 2022.

“We’ve taken a break in our careers and the fact that people have latched on to this music for so long and embraced this new chapter in our careers is really cool,” he adds. “I’m so proud of this tour, and it feels very right. We feel very comfortable.”

Growing up, Aly and AJ listened to a lot of gospel or classic rock, which helped the duo create their own harmonies and how they sound on stage. “I feel like our last record was influenced byJoni Mitchell and The Mamas & the Papas, but I also feel like this record takes us out a little bit and takes us more into a space where this is kind of a prologue,” she shares.This album it feels like an American road trip and I’m really proud of it. It’s a lot like a postcard to our fans. We are spreading love in every city and getting so much love from our fans. It’s a beautiful exchange.”

The ladies have been in the spotlight since 2004 when they signed with Hollywood Records in their teens. Since, they became famousas Aly has been the star of a number of Disney Channel shows and movies including Future Phil AND Beautiful cowwhile AJ appeared in The Goldbergs, Educated AND Excellent 8.

“This is really a low point for us,” AJ shares on how far they’ve come. “It feels right and these songs sound so beautifully live which is so important. This album solidified the fact that Aly and I are making music that we were always meant to be making.”

While the girls are on tour, they’re spreading the word about gun violence, especially after mass shootings have become so prevalent in the United States, something they’ve experienced themselves.

In 2022, Aly and AJ were caught in the middle of a shooting in Sacramento that left six people… Giovannitaya Alexander, Melinda Davis, Sergio Harris, Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi, Yamile Martinez-Andrade, Devatiate Turner – died. Aly and AJ were lucky to survive which is why they want to spark change.

Since the tour started, they ask their fans to stand upthey raise their hands and pledge to ask, “Is there an unlocked gun in the house?”

“It’s become something so personal to me and AJ. I feel it’s our duty now to talk about it after experiencing something that has not only affected us, but our band and crew as well,” shares Aly. “On the first night of our last tour, we survived a mass shooting and took cover inside our bus outside the venue we had just played that night. Our bus was hit by bullets and six people lost life on the street. We feel responsible for using our platform to demand not only change in our communities, but also real change in the way we view safety and gun violence. I think our fans have embraced this message in a really good way, and we’re inspired to see how many people hear what we talk about every night on stage.”

“It’s an epidemic as far as I’m concerned,” she continues. “I know it’s hard to talk about things, but that doesn’t mean you don’t talk about them. You have to get past that point. Growing up as kids under the Disney umbrella, there were a lot of things you had to be careful about saying if it was a religious basis or politics. Now that we’re older and have experienced it firsthand, there’s no time to waste. Stigmas are made to be broken and I feel like this is one of those. Everyone needs to talk about gun safety.”

Every night, the girls asked the audience to open their phones and go to PledgetoAsk.orga website that Northwell Healthcare – New York’s largest health care system, which is at the forefront of gun violence treatment research, education and advocacy – built so people can engage right there in real time with us every evening at the show. “You can do that after the show too. We have banners in the lobby and on the merchandise table,” AJ explains. “It’s a simple question, but I feel it’s a question that could not only potentially save their life, but perhaps a friend or loved one. We make a commitment to them every night, and while they do, they’re participating in a small raffle where one person will be randomly selected to come backstage and meet us after the show.”

“It’s a small incentive to take part in this effort,” he adds. “It’s been amazing to see the response every night — pretty much every single head is down in the venue, and they’re on their phones. It’s very gratifying to see that kind of work in real time and see how quiet and silent the audience is just listening to the our story”.

While some may shy away from discussing these topics, the pair feel “entitled” to spread the word. “I feel like every person in this audience that we perform for can understand the importance of gun safety,” says Aly. “We are able to be the messenger, which is a real honour. We don’t take it lightly. We have always enjoyed be role models to our fans, and I think that’s part of how we’ve grown. It’s beautiful.”