Jesse Barnett – Stick to Your Guns

Jesse Barnett is the frontman of American hardcore punk band Stick to Your Guns. Barnett formed the band in 2003 in Orange County, California and released their first EP, Compassion without Compromise, in 2004. The name of the band’s very first release, signifies many of the themes of Barnett’s lyrics: compassion to both humans and non-human animals. Between 2005 and 2025, Stick to Your Guns has released eight studio albums, the most recent being Keep Planting Flowers.

Why Jesse Barnett is vegan

Jesse Barnett was introduced to the idea of veganism and animal rights by punk rock bands such as Propagandhi and books such as Meat Is for Pussies: A How-to Guide for Dudes Who Want to Get Fit, Kick Ass, and Take Names by John Joseph, the influential lead singer of the hardcore band Cro-Mags.¹Peta2TV. 2013. Go Vegan With Stick To Your Guns. Youtube. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6HZlLmWtSI [Accessed 26 May 2026].

Jesse Barnett is vegan because he believes it is unacceptable to inflict suffering on the species we share the planet with. The song ‘No Tolerance’, which appeared on the 2016 EP Better Ash Than Dust, was inspired by Barnett’s choice to be vegan:

“As I’m sure most of us know, the world and our society can be very intolerant to anything or anyone outside of their rules. This song is about our intolerance for intolerance. There is no tolerance for racists, sexists, homophobes or fascists in our scene. On a more personal level this song was inspired by my choice to be vegan. I can no longer be tolerant towards the torture that is inflicted on our fellow species that we share this planet with. I will use my voice, money and actions to stand against these things.”²Dying Scene. Stick To Your Guns premiere lyric video for “No Tolerance”. Available: https://dyingscene.com/archive/stick-to-your-guns-premiere-lyric-video-for-no-tolerance/ [Accessed 26 May 2026].